Recent phone thefts in the boys’ locker room led to increased reminders for students to secure valuables during PE.
Irvington High School students were left rattled after several phones were stolen from backpacks in the boys’ locker room during 5th period on Wednesday, January 21. The thefts, which targeted items left unsecured outside lockers, have prompted school officials to increase supervision, review existing locker room procedures, and implement a new policy.
Principal Hicks sent an email to students and staff later that day, emphasizing the importance of securing valuables and reporting any stolen items. Students whose items were stolen were instructed to complete incident reports and provide details, such as the type of device and its last known location.
In a follow-up update on January 26, Principal Hicks revealed that the student responsible had been caught and appropriate disciplinary action was taken. Unfortunately, none of the stolen phones were recovered, as they had been sold for parts. Students affected have been asked to contact Assistant Principal DeFrance with information, including the date and period of the theft and device details, in order to discuss recovery options. Additionally, students were reassured that school officials made changes to locker room procedures to prevent future incidents.
Several students discovered their phones were missing after PE class ended, as they were changing out of their gym clothes. Siddharth Balaji (9), an impacted student, said the incident made him more cautious about leaving valuables in the locker room. “I’ve started paying more attention to where I store my belongings so something like this won’t happen again,” he said.
Balaji said he was relieved when the school announced the thefts and the new security procedures, but he is unsure how effective they will be in the long term, as students may find a way to work around them. So far, he has mostly noticed teachers repeatedly reminding students to secure their items.
Assistant Principal DeFrance said the school reviewed locker room procedures with PE staff immediately after the thefts were reported. While most policies remain the same, Ms. DeFrance said the incident prompted a closer review of existing procedures. One change includes additional supervision for student athletes who enter locker rooms before and after-school practices. “We also added campus supervisors when athletes come in early so there are adult eyes on the locker rooms,” Ms. DeFrance said.
Mrs. Gribben, the head of the PE Department, said locker room safety has always relied on cooperation between students and staff. She explained that teachers work together to clear locker rooms after class and ensure doors are locked.
At the beginning of the year, students were instructed, both verbally and through signed syllabi, to lock up valuables. Following the thefts, she advised students to always lock up valuables and, if an item is too large to fit in a locker, to ask a PE teacher to store it in their office.
“There’s no better protection than actual protection,” Mrs. Gribben said, emphasizing that students should take responsibility for securing important belongings both in and outside the locker room.
