Laptops stolen from DPS

[Kevgoblue]

Speaking at a news conference with federal and local law enforcement officials, Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb angrily called the suspects "thieves and thugs."
"This is about stealing educational opportunity directly from our students, and we aren't going to stand for it," he said.
Some of the thieves, captured on videotape wearing ski masks, were former DPS students and some were gang members, he said. "It says a lot about the culture we're dealing with."
Bobb pledged to halt what he said were continuing thefts of district property by installing more surveillance cameras and possibly carting in huge safes to protect computers from thieves.
At Tuesday's news conference, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said she planned to charge the suspects in connection with the theft of more than 100 computers valued at more than $158,000.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100...#ixzz10HmOJHnW

Is it just me, or does something seem wrong here?

Later in the article it goes on to describe how the thefts occured from 4 different schools, some of them hit multiple times. So the schools have dozens of laptop computers just laying around unsecured? After the 1st school was broken into, the administration did not ensure that word was spread throughout the district to secure laptops in other buildings?

The value of these 100 laptops was over $158,000? Why in the world is the school district paying $1500 apiece for a laptop? A quick visit to BestBuy.com reveals 8 laptops currently priced under $400. I'm sure with the volume that a district would purchase additional discounts would apply.

Reading this, I see more of the "thieves and thugs, stealing educational opportunities directly from the students" at the adminstrative level. Truly sad.

[JBMcB]

Three possibilities on the high cost per laptop:

1. They could be counting total cost of ownership/acquisition for the laptops, rolling in IT and setup costs

2. They could be purchasing high end laptops, or laptops pre-installed with a bunch of software through a VAR

3. They could be over-paying for laptops and taking kickbacks from a VAR

In any case, valuable portable electronics not being kept under tight lock and key reeks of incompetence. Either that, or it's an inside job. I'd give even odds on that one.

[fryar]

Huh. That's enterprising, in its own way.

I, too, am surprised by the high cost of the laptops, and there may well be something to #3. MS Office is like $70 for educational use - which ain't cheap, but there's still quite some distance before we get to $1,000+.

I hope they catch 'em, and I hope the perps talk [[if anyone inside the school or schools helped them for a kickback). They certainly should be able to lock away computer equipment.

These are probably the same folks that lock their laptops in their car in plain sight when parking outside the court house.

[GPCharles]

Computers are routinely left out at night. They can't put every computer under lock and key, it would take hours. Now laptops are a different matter, but thieves have no problem breaking into locked storage areas.

[Zacha341]

One of the community colleges I am involved with recruits at some of the DPS high schools. Many DPS schools are using Apple Macintosh laptops which do cost far more that is why they are costing an average of $1400 each.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100...#ixzz10HmOJHnW

Is it just me, or does something seem wrong here?

Later in the article it goes on to describe how the thefts occured from 4 different schools, some of them hit multiple times. So the schools have dozens of laptop computers just laying around unsecured? After the 1st school was broken into, the administration did not ensure that word was spread throughout the district to secure laptops in other buildings?

The value of these 100 laptops was over $158,000? Why in the world is the school district paying $1500 apiece for a laptop? A quick visit to BestBuy.com reveals 8 laptops currently priced under $400. I'm sure with the volume that a district would purchase additional discounts would apply.

Reading this, I see more of the "thieves and thugs, stealing educational opportunities directly from the students" at the adminstrative level. Truly sad.

[jbd441]

These are probably the same folks that lock their laptops in their car in plain sight when parking outside the court house.

This is almost where the thief is becoming the victim. Stealing is stealing. Yes you can protect your personal property by taking proper precautions but if someone takes your property even from your car in plain sight without permission it is stealing plain and simple.

[BagAJellyDonuts]

In a classroom setting there is no reason to have laptops. Heck there's no reason why a classroom couldn't be set up with monitors, keyboards and mouse run by a server.

The $1500 per unit price may just be associated with the Monica Conyers purchasing department. I would not be shocked if there's plenty of graft involved in the supply side of this equation.

[staticstate]

Apple steals from everyone - what's the surprise?

[wolverine]

Depending on what was installed on the machines I can see it reaching that much in price. Some software packages that charge per seat can be outrageous.

Too bad those computers don't have LoJack. My friend had his comp stolen back in college. Cops arrested the guy as he left his house with the laptop because it had this inside.

[Zacha341]

Hmm, only if a 'monica' type can get in up to the level of Apples billing insides... You never know, but I doubt Apple Inc. is interested in any small change shannagans [[in contrast to what they are raking in on their own per their store, business and college equipment sales) with a school district all ready laden with so much negative baggage. More and more class rooms are using laptops, secondary and college. I prefer towers and monitors in a lab. Harder to break and harder go grow legs... and walk away.

In a classroom setting there is no reason to have laptops. Heck there's no reason why a classroom couldn't be set up with monitors, keyboards and mouse run by a server.

The $1500 per unit price may just be associated with the Monica Conyers purchasing department. I would not be shocked if there's plenty of graft involved in the supply side of this equation.

[fryar]

Umm...why are they using Macintoshes, exactly? Graphic design or something? Not to give Macintoshes a hard time, that belongs on another board, but unless you're teaching graphic design or something, why not just go with a Linux machine? I mean, if the point is to not have them use Windows.

Smells like possible kickbacks from the middleman to me.

[rhythmc]

The high cost for a laptop used by DPS would have to be attributed to the cost of renting each machine [[many orgs do not purchase machines outright due to obsolescence), software, technical support, and the cost to dispose of them when the time comes. In that light, the cost is about right.

I'm glad they caught the guys. Still, more work to be done, but this is good work.

[Zacha341]

The new Apple Macintosh platform of computers now run on a Linux-based system [[OSX Leopard Snow to be specific) and can be set up for dual OS - Mac or PC with far less virus issues. Additionally, Adobe applications and MS Office work well in the Mac set up. Specifically the Adobe suite of software has expanded far and beyond just printed graphics being more multi-media, video, music and web based as time has progressed.

Apple Macs in general are far more reslient to virus then PC based machines. This is especially so in a heavy-use class room where viruses pass thru even the most vigilant firewalls and security measures. IMO, Macs have a much longer shelf life in the lab setting... they can be broken but as a rule keep going for the most part while PC's succumb to viruses and must configured and reset and replaced.

Umm...why are they using Macintoshes, exactly? Graphic design or something? Not to give Macintoshes a hard time, that belongs on another board, but unless you're teaching graphic design or something, why not just go with a Linux machine? I mean, if the point is to not have them use Windows.

Smells like possible kickbacks from the middleman to me.

[Huggybear]

Unix, not Linux.

The new Apple Macintosh platform of computers now run on a Linux-based system [[OSX Leopard Snow to be specific) and can be set up for dual OS - Mac or PC with far less virus issues. Additionally, Adobe applications and MS Office work well in the Mac set up. Specifically the Adobe suite of software has expanded far and beyond just printed graphics being more multi-media, video, music and web based as time has progressed.

Apple Macs in general are far more reslient to virus then PC based machines. This is especially so in a class room where viruses pass thru even the most vigilant firewalls and security measures. IMO, Macs have a much longer shelf life in the lab setting... they can be broken but as a rule keep going for the most part while PC's succumb to viruses and must configured and reset and replaced.

[Zacha341]

My bad! ------ Thank you for that clarification.

Unix, not Linux.