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Brass instrument thefts continue as Anaheim school is hit
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Brass instrument thefts continue as Anaheim school is hit
Brass instrument thefts continue as Anaheim school is hit
A recent rash of brass instrument thefts at Southern California public schools has left many students idle in band classes, but a local business is stepping up on Sunday to help an Anaheim junior high school that lost $20,000 in instruments just a few weeks ago.
Sycamore Junior High School band director Rich Gordon says there was little to stop these instrument thieves.
"[They] completely broke our door, came into the room and then broke a few more doors once they got inside the room to get to the storage rooms where the instruments were," said Gordon.
Thieves took tubas, trumpets, saxophones and a snare drums — and left behind flutes, clarinets, sound equipment and a laptop.
Gordon’s been able to borrow a few instruments but some students still have to pretend to play during band practice.
Now, Gordon’s colleagues at nearby schools are telling him they no longer keep their instruments in the band room.
"They’ll find another room on campus that you wouldn’t normally suspect the instruments to be located in," he explained, "or they’ll get some storage sheds on campus that maybe are a little more secure."
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Other band directors who’ve suffered similar losses told the L.A. Times the thefts are due to the popularity of bands that play brass-rich norteño music. Gordon, who gave police a list of the instrument serial numbers, says that makes sense.
"Originally the police thought maybe they were melting down the metal, the brass, and selling the metal," said Gordon. "But I’m doubting that considering what exactly has been stolen and targeted; it seems like they’re targeting these expensive instruments, they know exactly what they’re getting and they know that they’re getting a lot of money for them."
The House of Blues in Downtown Disney called to help. Sycamore Junior High’s band will play at the venue’s gospel brunch this Sunday morning for a fundraiser to help the band replace its instruments.
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