Willow Glen Resident
News
Willow Glen High campus robbery leaves parents looking for answers
By Laura Rheinheimer
The Aug. 7 episode in which three teens were robbed at gunpoint on the Willow Glen High School campus has left parents looking for ways to keep their children safe.
"When it happens that close and it's that violent, it's very upsetting," said Jean Morrow, the mother of two Willow Glen High School students.
Morrow, who lives near the school, was shocked a crime of that nature would happen in her quiet neighborhood.
Mark Bruening, the father of an incoming freshman at the high school, was also deeply troubled and feared the robbers might strike again.
"This isn't a high school incident--it's a communitywide one," Bruening said. "This could have happened anywhere."
San Jose Police Det. Ray Avalos, who is investigating the case, acknowledged this type of crime is unusual for the area. The police department is taking it "very seriously," he said.
But until the police have more information, crime prevention specialist Kim Gaddis says, it could have been a crime of opportunity.
Gaddis, who works with communities to set up neighborhood watch groups, said it's best to avoid secluded areas and to travel in numbers. The teens had taken a dip in the high school pool and were getting out when the three men in ski masks confronted them at gunpoint demanding their personal belongings, including money, cell phones and the keys to a 2001 Chevy Tahoe.
A witness walking his dog near the high school saw the men jump over the fence near the swimming pool and called 911.
Gaddis said that was the right thing to do. Residents should pay attention to who is in the area and report anything that looks out of place, such as a car driving up and down the street or other strange activity.
San Jose Unified School District trustee Pam Foley, who represents Willow Glen schools, has received a number of phone calls about the incident, which questioned if the teenagers should have been at the school as well as the need for more police patrols in the area.
Foley said the district is aware late-night dips in the high school pool have happened before.
"There's not much we can do about it," Foley said
She said that installing security cameras or hiring a security guard could be an option, but she does not think security cameras at the school would be effective. It is a large campus, and there are numerous areas that would not be monitored, she noted.
Foley also said janitorial crews that sometimes work late at night keep an eye out for any unusual activity.
Morrow thinks a greater police presence would curtail these problems, and would like to see stepped-up patrols.
Bruening is not waiting for the district to response. He is taking immediate action by emailing the article that ran in the Willow Glen Resident to 600 Lincoln Glen Little League families and has asked the Willow Glen Little League to do the same. He wants to make sure everyone is aware of the incident.
Others, like Joan Okun, the parent of a Willow Glen High School senior, stress that community involvement can make a big difference.
"I think if you get to know your community, you'll be aware of who lives there and who's visiting, " she said.
On her street, about a mile from the school, her neighbors know one another and communicate frequently.
"We watch out for each other out here," she said.
Anyone with information about the crime is asked to contact the San Jose Police department robbery unit at 408.277.4166 or at Crime Stoppers at 408.947.STOP. An anonymous tip line is available for anyone to report unusual activity on the Willow Glen High School campus at 866.344.TELL.
