KSLA News 12 Shreveport, Louisiana |Vandalism raises security questions at Parkway HS

Vandalism raises security questions at Parkway HS

By Carolyn Roy – bio|email 

BOSSIER CITY, LA (KSLA) – Cleanup has begun at the old Parkway High School after vandals struck sometime early this week, but questions remain about security on the unoccupied campus. 

On Tuesday, KSLA News 12 got a call from concerned Parkway parent Cindy Herring. "I was shocked and I was sickened as a parent as a former graduate of Parkway High School," Herring said of the crude graffiti spray-painted all over the walls of the girls' gymnasium.   

Parkway principal Joe Huffman says the damage was not limited to the girls' gym, or to graffiti alone. "It was pretty strategically located in the girls gym, with a little bit in the boy's gym both times.  Broken windows, and some doors."  

Huffman also says this isn't the first time vandals have broken in and done damage.  They were notified of similar vandalism over the holidays as well, but opted not to do any clean-up work because the building is already undergoing a major renovation in preparation for Elm Grove Middle School to move in this fall.  "This second visit put it more in the forefront and so we went ahead and had our painters come over. We were hoping that we could manage it successfully so that the painters could come through in their sequence of events, but we've attacked it this morning and taken care of any materials that might be offensive." 

But questions remain over how the vandals gained access to the building, which was built more than 40 years ago. "It's old enough that you can get in if you know what you're doing," says Huffman, "You know, locks and laws are for law abiding citizens, not for the criminal-minded, and you can get in if you know how to kick right and things on old doors."  

Still, those doors can be chained up now that the building is unoccupied, which Huffman says has turned out to be a double-edged sword: "Unoccupied leaves it more suitable for the break-in, but also a chance for us to do some more security." 

There are also still questions about just who has keys to the facilities, which are still used, with permission, by the community groups and for sports practices and events.  "I have not authorized anyone to use this facility without an employee present, and I haven't authorized anyone to use the girls' gym at all." 

Bossier Parish Schools Superintendent D.C. Machen told KSLA News 12 Tuesday night, "Unfortunately just as the parent here tonight has a key, no telling how many have keys to the facilities." 

On Wednesday, Huffman told KSLA News 12 that they are investigating the possibility that a school employee may have provided a key. 

As for the investigation into who committed the acts of vandalism, Huffman says, "We are self-insured and we will take care of those  kinds of things on our own because we don't have a suspect, as such.  Whenever we know there is a suspect, obviously we pursue that." 

For now, Huffman says they'll have their 'sources' in the neighborhood 'listening and looking,' but he does not think a Parkway student was responsible.  "Our kids are proud of our school, and they don't deface it."

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