DS's Cell Phone Stolen - PSA About Gym Lockers

[RUDisney]

My DS had his cell phone stolen from his gym locker. He had just upgraded to his father's hand-me-down Blackberry Curve a few weeks ago, so the phone didn't owe us anything, but all of his phone numbers and data were on that phone. He of course hadn't backed it up yet.

Everyone, including the school's resource officer, thinks that they know who did it. There was only one boy who went into the locker room to "use the bathroom" during gym class and the lockers don't have locks on them. He has a history of making trouble and stealing, but we can't prove anything because there are no cameras in the locker room for obvious reasons and my DS didn't report it to him until the next day. He thought he'd left his cell phone home by mistake.

So, the point of my thread is not to complain about the theft but to let other parents know to talk to their kids about the gym lockers. My DS's didn't have locks on them. I didn't know that or I would have bought him a combination lock to use. Find out if the same is true of your kid's school.

Secondly, if there are no locks, remind your child to give any valuables to the teacher to hold during the class. This can be anything from an ipod, cell phone, watch, jewelry, etc. My DS obviously didn't listen to this advice at the beginning of the year.

I also didn't know that because my DS has gym at the end of the day, the students are encouraged to clean out everything they will take home from their school locker to take to the gym with them so they won't crowd the halls later. Doesn't make much sense to take things from your locked locker to an unlocked location, but I didn't make those rules.

This wasn't a conversation I'd ever thought to have with my DS. I wish I had before the phone was stolen.

 

[dawson5]

can you monitor the phone usage? We have sprint and I can usually see, same day, incoming and outgoing calls. I think google has a free locator that you can install on a phone. Not as comprehensive as the ones offered through the cell service but it's free instead of $20/phone.

My son had his ipod-touch stolen because he forgot the lock that day. I've told them often enough to give it to a friend during gym. I don't think our teachers will hold valuables. He was upset but he knew it was his own fault for not taking precautions. He also had an idea of who took it, told a friend at lunch, next day he was talking to the suspect and the boy offered to sell him an ipod. He made arrangements to buy the next day, my son gave him his serial number, kid double checked and said "this is my friend's that you stole," took it from him and gave it to my son. It ended well for us thankfully. He bought that with his own money. He learned his lesson about locks.

 

[agnes!]

can you monitor the phone usage? We have sprint and I can usually see, same day, incoming and outgoing calls. I think google has a free locator that you can install on a phone. Not as comprehensive as the ones offered through the cell service but it's free instead of $20/phone.

My son had his ipod-touch stolen because he forgot the lock that day. I've told them often enough to give it to a friend during gym. I don't think our teachers will hold valuables. He was upset but he knew it was his own fault for not taking precautions. He also had an idea of who took it, told a friend at lunch, next day he was talking to the suspect and the boy offered to sell him an ipod. He made arrangements to buy the next day, my son gave him his serial number, kid double checked and said "this is my friend's that you stole," took it from him and gave it to my son. It ended well for us thankfully. He bought that with his own money. He learned his lesson about locks.

Smart smart boy!

agnes!

 

[ICF]

Secondly, if there are no locks, remind your child to give any valuables to the teacher to hold during the class. This can be anything from an ipod, cell phone, watch, jewelry, etc. My DS obviously didn't listen to this advice at the beginning of the year.

Sorry he had his phone stolen, but how would that work given valuables to the teacher? Do you really think the teacher wants to be given all that "stuff" every class period to be responsible for? I can't see that being an option since they are supposed to be teaching and all and not being guardians of these kids valuables.

Might just be me, but I don't think the kids should be carrying most of that stuff with them around school all day. Leave the ipod/cell phones and the like in their main locker which can be locked or bring a lock of their own to use in gym class...but no way can I see a teacher being expected to hold all of their valuables while s/he is supposed to be teaching.

 

[The LK 4]

In our school, the students are encouraged to leave their valuables with the phys ed teacher, who then locks it in their office.

 

[dawson5]

Sorry he had his phone stolen, but how would that work given valuables to the teacher? Do you really think the teacher wants to be given all that "stuff" every class period to be responsible for? I can't see that being an option since they are supposed to be teaching and all and not being guardians of these kids valuables.

Might just be me, but I don't think the kids should be carrying most of that stuff with them around school all day. Leave the ipod/cell phones and the like in their main locker which can be locked or bring a lock of their own to use in gym class...but no way can I see a teacher being expected to hold all of their valuables while s/he is supposed to be teaching.

I would go to say if you can't keep it on you, don't bring it. In high school, I locked a tape player (walkman) in my locker. It was stolen. My fault, should have just put it in my purse and taken it with me all day. I went to the office to report it stolen and was basically told "sorry for you, you were not allowed to bring it anyways." There was a no electronics policy, I was unaware of it--who really reads the handbook?

I think what is odd is that this person stole a cell. Most of them are a dime a dozen. I think the parts are more valuable than the cell itself. Most people will turn off the phone and report stolen. I don't think they can be used without a clear ISN, but you don't need a clear ISN to use the battery.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

That stinks. Our school's policy is that cell phones must remain in the their main locked locker. They are not allowed to carry them to class.

Your school's policy is the pits. It is probably for some dismissal reason I am sure, right?

 

[Darcy03231]

Even if the locker has a lock on it, a thief will find a way. I know because DD's cell phone was locked in her gym locker and it was stolen. Unless they can keep it on them at all times, anything expensive doesn't go to school anymore.

 

[RUDisney]

In our school, the students are encouraged to leave their valuables with the phys ed teacher, who then locks it in their office.

That's what our gym teacher told them that she would do, too.

That stinks. Our school's policy is that cell phones must remain in the their main locked locker. They are not allowed to carry them to class.

Your school's policy is the pits. It is probably for some dismissal reason I am sure, right?

That's right. They dismiss from gym class. It is the only time of day that they are allowed to have their cell phones or other things out of their main locker. If they have them at any other time of day, they would be confiscated and turned into the office for a parent to pick up.

 

[mjkacmom]

My dd13 has had $50 total stolen during gym. And she keeps her envi touch in her purse as well, and I keep warning her to leave it in her locker (gym is her 2nd to last subject of the day, and she doesn't want to have to return to her locker at the end of the day, so she keeps her cellphone in her purse). She has health this marking period, but thanks for the reminder for next marking period - cellphone must stay in the locker!

 

[kristilew]

I think what is odd is that this person stole a cell. Most of them are a dime a dozen. I think the parts are more valuable than the cell itself. Most people will turn off the phone and report stolen. I don't think they can be used without a clear ISN, but you don't need a clear ISN to use the battery.

At my DD's middle school, cell phones get stolen all the time. Everything gets stolen. I'm not so sure that the kids doing the stealing are capable of the logic you're employing. And besides, it's as much to just take away the items from the "haves" as to get them into the hands of the "have nots."

OP, thanks for the psa - we'll have a refresher discussion over dinner. DD also has gym class last period, and it is the same routine.

 

[MrsPete]

Sorry he had his phone stolen, but how would that work given valuables to the teacher? Do you really think the teacher wants to be given all that "stuff" every class period to be responsible for? I can't see that being an option since they are supposed to be teaching and all and not being guardians of these kids valuables.

Yeah, I can't imagine that it's the teacher's responsibility to take care of lockingi up all this stuff every day.

Just for the record, it isn't always valuables that're stolen. I remember about two years ago my neighbor was hopping mad because someone came into the gym locker room while her daughter was in PE and stole a bunch of clothes. Not valuable, really, just clothes. Our school has lockers and tells the kids to lock up their stuff during PE class, but a bunch of the girls were in the habit of leaving JUST their valuables in the lockers, thinking that their jeans and tee-shirts were fine on the benches. Someone came in and tried on a bunch of stuff -- their things were left willy-nilly turned inside out, etc. as if the girl had tried on as much as possible in a short period of time, and some of the clothes were gone.

Some people will take anything that isn't tied down.

Also, my experience is that high schoolers are notoriously un-careful with their valuables. Typical situations: Girls leave their purses by their desks while they move across the room to work with a partner on an assignment, never paying much attention to who's near their stuff. I've seen whole teams of kids dump their bookbags behind the dug-outs or on the bleachers, then go to ball practice, never really paying attention to who's around all those bags. Kids leave $130 graphing calculators in bookbags (or even out on desks) while their class goes to lunch, regardless of whether the teacher locks the door during lunch. And when I had hall duty in the front lobby, at least once a week we'd find a girl's purse left behind. Many teens carry quite a few valuables with them (almost all have cell phones, most have iPods and other such things), and lots of their classmates are actively looking for an opportunity to get their hands on those goodies. Teens do need an occasional lecture on taking care of their valuables.

 

[dawson5]

That's what happens at my son's schools. It's Ipods, shoes, name brand hoodies and tshirts.. I don't think I've heard any of them come home and say a cell was stolen. They mostly leave their electronics in their pockets, turned off. Gym is the only place where they run into this, that's why I say hand it to a friend during that time.

My oldest had his ipod "locked." You have to type in a password to even get it going. whoever this kid took it to, they got around the lock. He thought it would be harder to do than it was.

 

[RUDisney]

The good thing about teenagers is that they are inherently stupid. My DS is at the school right now with the resource officer, principal and a number of students because the boy whom they thought took the phone has supposedly confessed to a couple of his friends. They are also kids whom I've told my DS to be friends with but not to hang out with them. They are trouble makers, but because my DS is friendly with them, they told him that they know who took his phone.

So, I don't know what is going on with this right now, but at least the resource officer is on top of it. That's at least comforting whether we get the phone back or not.

 

[Deb in IA]

I don't think cell phones should be allowed in locker rooms in the first place, especially since they all have cameras now.

 

[RUDisney]

I don't think cell phones should be allowed in locker rooms in the first place, especially since they all have cameras now.

You make an excellent point that hadn't considered. Their cells are supposed to be either given to the teacher or kept in their bookbags. They aren't supposed to be out in any class and the locker room for gym is considered being in class.

DS is home now. He said that the resource officer believes this will be wrapped up on Monday. Whether the phone is recovered or not is another story, but they should have positive knowledge of the boy who stole it.

 

[Scurvy]

I don't think cell phones should be allowed in locker rooms in the first place, especially since they all have cameras now.

I agree. They are no longer allowed in the locker rooms in my son's school after one boy took a picture of another boy in only his underwear and threatened to give it it to some of the other students. Letting kids have cameras in locker rooms is a recipe for disaster, in my opinion.

OP, thanks for the reminder! Most kids are so sure that their things won't get stolen that they aren't nearly careful enough with their valuables. I do hope your son is able to get his phone back.

 

[RUDisney]

One final update on my DS's cell phone. I am happy to report that he received it back today without his SIMM card, but at least he has the phone again.

The boy's grandmother was called into the school for a meeting after the principal had contacted her to find out if the boy had a blackberry. She said that he did and that it was given to him recently by a friend's mother. He asked her to call the other boy's mother to find out if this was true. The other mother said she never had a blackberry to give.

I received a call while the grandmother was there. The boy was called to the office and told to bring the phone with him. All of the settings were different and he'd changed the SIMM card. The school wanted me to come in to identify the phone as my DS's.

In the meantime, I contacted AT&T for the serial number. It matched the phone and the boy confessed to everything.

I told the principal that I would take his and the resource officer's advice on what to do next. The boy was temporarily expelled and he was arrested in the school this morning. While I was willing to not press charges, given the boy's history, the officer thought it best to press charges. He's hoping to scare the boy straight. I hope it doesn't have the opposite affect, but I'll take his advice.

I have to go in tomorrow morning to give my statement for the record. My DS is worried that there will be retaliation from the boy and his friends. His friends aren't from our town but from one town over. There is a lot of known gang activity in that area. I've advised my DS to remain with his friends at all times so he's always in a group. I've also told him to take different routes home so they won't know his route every day. While I know that we did the right thing in reporting this and following the advice of the resource officer, I am also nervous about my DS's safety.

I'm hoping that my fears are for nothing.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Holy SMOKES! That is some update. I don't know if I would have the guts to do that.