The Smoke Signal

By Keerti Koya

Over Spring Break, there were two attempted break-ins on campus. The first incident occurred near the E-Wing, and was unsuccessful. The school administration believes that the alarm systems deterred the perpetrators, preventing them from proceeding further. Once the administration received word of the attempts, Head of Maintenance Gary Hamilton promptly conducted a thorough assessment of the damages and documented the findings in a detailed report to Principal Amy Perez, district officials, and local law enforcement.

MSJ administration is actively investigating the motive behind the recent break-in attempts. While the exact date and timing of the second break-in remain unknown, its occurrence was apparent during the initial investigation through the removal of vents at the bottom of the English Department office room’s door. While no items were stolen in either incident, alarm activation and vent damages serve as strong evidence of break-in attempts. Due to a lack of valuable items in either of the targeted classrooms, the motive remains unclear. “Maybe someone was trying to take a stab at finding stuff. I don’t believe [the perpetrator] was someone who knew our campus,” Perez said.

The MSJ campus is largely open to the public, and the lack of perimeter security gates allows people easy access to various parts of the campus. The administration currently does not plan to add additional fencing, in order to prioritize the campus’ inviting environment and accommodate student activities. While there are no additional security measures being put into place at this time, the administration hopes to be more vigilant and keep alarms activated. Through weekly meetings with the campus custodians, Perez aims to ensure “that all buildings are armed and secured before [they] leave campus.”

Tips about the break-ins can be sent anonymously to the Fremont Police Department through https://local.nixle.com/tip/fremont-police-department-ca/, by texting “Tip FREMONTPD” followed by a message, to 888-777, or through phone via the department’s silent witness hotline at 510-494-4856.