Peninsula High Installs Cameras to Curb Vandalism

Fed up with multiple acts of vandalism on campus, Principal Mitzi Cress hopes new surveillance cameras will make would-be vandals “think twice” before leaving their mark on the school.

Several cameras are currently being installed at Peninsula and should be up and running soon, she said.

The school has been hit with a number of vandalism incidents in recent months. , graffiti was found covering the school amphitheater and track, as well as other building and school surfaces.

In January, which covered a significant portion of the campus. The school's panther statue, tree stumps, brick, concrete, benches, lunch tables, lockers and buildings were all marked.

The school’s campus was once again in February.

“It is our hope that the cameras will be a deterrent to future vandals,” Cress said. “Knowing that their images will be caught on video will surely make these criminals think twice before committing these crimes.”

The $7,000 surveillance system was funded by the school’s PTSA, Cress said. It will record images in the dark and cover all points of entry. So far, the school has spent about $10,000 to clean up after vandalism she said.

“The cost of cleaning up the damage has far surpassed the cost of the cameras,” Cress said. “There has been a consensus of opinion from members of our school community that it is time to take this measure."

Signs will also be placed throughout the school’s campus to announce the cameras are in use, she said.

Associate Principal Stephanie Scott said it's "disheartening" to arrive on campus and see that it's been vandalized. 

"You feel violated," she said in a previous interview.

A reward is still being offered for anyone who has information that leads to the arrest of those responsible for the vandalism. Neighboring has matched reward amounts set by Peninsula, bringing the total to $2,000.

“It hurts me to the core to spend valuable resources that could be used for classroom supplies and technology, but the cost of cleaning up the vandalism has cost us a great deal of money,” Cress said. “It is very sad that we have had to deal with this unfortunate situation.”