ANAHEIM : Magnolia Schools Expand Patrols

Acting to deter vandalism and other crimes common to open school campuses, the Magnolia Elementary School District has expanded its ranger patrols to guard district schools on weekend nights.

Like rangers in the Anaheim City Elementary School District, the patrols are unarmed but have direct radio contact with the Police Department. Rangers are used primarily as a deterrent but can radio for assistance if warnings given to those possibly committing crimes are not successful.

For the past three years, patrols in the Magnolia district have helped keep criminals off campuses during summer, but an increase in problems during the school year has led the district to hire the patrols on a trial basis before summer.

“We have felt it has been a definite deterrent to vandals and other acts of non-responsible behavior,” said Magnolia Supt. Arch J. Haskins. “We’ve been fighting this vandalism thing for a long time.”

Patrols will begin this weekend and run until the end of June, with rangers working from early evening until early morning patrolling the six Anaheim campuses in the eight-school district.

The district will pay for the rangers, but the city Parks and Recreation Department will administer the program with the help of the police.

The trial program will cost the district just over $3,600 for the 15-week trial period. Haskins said the district lost almost $11,000 in vandalism and burglary incidents during the five-month period from July to November last year.