‘Organized crew’ stole catalytic converters from Will, Kankakee school buses, auto theft task force says

Bourbonnais — After the theft of catalytic converters from 21 of 24 Bourbonnais School District 53 buses last week, the district is considering new safety measures for its vehicle fleet.

District 53 Superintendent Adam Ehrman told Shaw Media that the cost to replace the stolen catalytic converters was “well over” $150,000 in parts, before the cost of shipping and installing them was factored in.

“We are not excited about these initial bills that we have, but (we) hope that some of it will be covered by the insurance that we have,” Ehrman said.

Fortunately for District 53, only one day of school was affected by the crippled fleet, as neighboring schools loaned vehicles to the district to make up for the damaged ones, and they were able to quickly have repairs made.

The vandalism initially was discovered Thursday, April 24, and classes were back in session by the following day.

The incident in Bourbonnais last week has prompted District 53 to increase security at its bus garage in conjunction with the Bourbonnais Police Department.

The district’s safety committee and school resource officer are leading those efforts in conjunction with the Bourbonnais Police Department.

“We are methodically reviewing every opportunity to find anything that can be done,” Ehrman said. “But ultimately, there are security measures that are in place, and every measure is a deterrent.”

An almost 10-foot, barbed-wire fence surrounding the facility was one of the deterrents already present, school officials said. The facility also is equipped with security lights and cameras, and the property is located away from nearby main roads.

“The level and layers of security that we have outweigh almost all, if not match all, in the area,” Ehrman said. “So it gets very concerning for others as they see what we have already put in place and still were vulnerable to be able to be hit.”

“This is definitely an organized crew. There are many challenges. There has been surveillance footage. You can see images of the people, but it is hard to identify them.”

—  Zach Johnston, director of the Tri-County Auto Task Force

Bourbonnais Police Chief Dave Anderson said the property on Career Center Road near Liberty Intermediate School was accessed by digging under the fence and cutting part of it.

“This is still a work in progress,” said Zach Johnston, director of the Tri-County Auto Task Force, which is investigating the case. “We are executing search warrants. We are not at a point where we can take anything to the state’s attorney to file charges. This is a tedious process.”

A ‘troubling trend’

Bourbonnais is not the only district affected by this problem.

Back in February, Troy School District 30-C, which serves students in portions of Crest Hill, Shorewood, Channahon and Joliet, had the same thing happen to its bus fleet.

The district had to cancel in-person classes for two days after 30 catalytic converters were stolen from its buses.

The investigation by the Tri-County Auto Task Force into that incident also still is pending; however, the district has taken measures to prevent a repeat offense.

“We are aware of similar incidents affecting other districts and share the broader concern about this troubling trend,” District 30-C communications director Sarah Wells said in a statement. “Following the February incident, we took immediate steps to strengthen the security of our transportation facility.”

Those steps taken by District 30-C include upgrading exterior lighting, incorporating new theft-deterrent features, “as well as enhancements to our surveillance camera systems to deter future incidents,” Wells said.

“We continue to work closely with local law enforcement as they investigate, and appreciate their hard work and dedication to pursuing this matter,” she said. “The safety and security of our students, staff and property remain a top priority for Troy 30-C.”

A bus company in Batavia also suffered a similar theft in February, shortly before the Troy 30-C incident, and Johnston noted that a district near Gurnee was affected early this year.

Although the cases still are “a work in progress” and no arrests have been made, Johnston suggested some of the thefts may be related.

“This is definitely an organized crew,” he said. “There are many challenges. There has been surveillance footage. You can see images of the people, but it is hard to identify them.”

So far, the investigations remain local, and no federal agencies have gotten involved.

“We have the resources and the people to do this,” Johnston said. “[Federal agencies] haven’t contacted us. If this becomes something across statewide, I’m sure they will get involved.”

When contacted by Shaw Media for any action the state can take on this matter, the Illinois State Board of Education said school districts concerned about bus security should work closely with their local law enforcement agencies.

“Local law enforcement knows the unique needs and patterns within their communities and can offer the most relevant guidance for prevention,” the ISBE said in a written statement. “Districts may consider installing security cameras, adding fencing around bus lots, hiring security personnel or taking other measures recommended by law enforcement to deter theft and vandalism.”

Although Ehrman speculated that most local school districts are probably aware of the incidents at Troy 30-C and now Bourbonnais, not all districts are taking additional security measures.

Jeannette Castillo, director of public relations for Lockport Township High School District 205, said she was “not aware of any additional protections being made for our bus transportation center,” while Joliet Township High School District 204, remains confident in its security measures.

District 204 Superintendent Karla Guseman noted in February that the district’s buses are “stored in a giant warehouse, with cameras monitoring the facility 24/7.”

District 205’s buses are in a fenced-in area at the corner of Farrell Road and Division Street in Lockport.