A series of unfortunate events affecting the Education Department, including crime and vandalism, have occurred on St. Thomas and St. Croix, the department announced Saturday.
Air conditioning units stored at DOE’s procurement warehouse on St. Thomas were destroyed for the copper coil cores within the units. Also, windows and other construction equipment stored at the Charlotte Amalie High School demolition site were stolen, said Commissioner Dionne Wells-Hedrington.
“These acts gravely impact the students of the territory by taking away needed resources for classrooms and campuses. We must think of the students, our children, who are our future, before engaging in such behavior,” said Wells-Hedrington.
On St. Croix, vandals stole 107 solar panels stored at the Educational Complex High School. The culprits cut through the perimeter fence of the job site, dismantled packaging that housed the solar equipment, removed panels, and fled the scene undetected, according to Government House.
The stolen solar panels were funded by the Department of Interior’s Energizing Insular Communities $625,000 grant awarded to the Virgin Islands Energy Office as an energy-efficient project, the press release stated.
“Over the past few days there have been several incidents of crime reported that can only be described as senseless, brazen, and unfortunate. I am asking for the support of the community in identifying persons involved in these acts who have demonstrated such a disregard for ongoing efforts to prepare schools for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year,” said Wells-Hedrington.
“The return of these needed items for our schools is a priority. The public is asked to keep a watchful eye out for any suspicious activity in and around school campuses and to call 911 to report any information related to these crimes,” she said.
