There is security 24/7 and cameras almost everywhere on campus, yet iPads, phones and other expensive personal belongings have been stolen. According to administration, students neglect their belongings by putting them in their backpacks in the “safe” locker rooms.

Yes, maybe students did neglect their belongings by not locking them in an athletic locker, but I feel more needs to be done to prevent stealing. In this 2012-2013 school year alone, 33 iPads have been stolen from our campus, not to mention other belongings like phones, headphones and iPods. 33 iPads, costing $541.92 each to replace, is a total of  $17,883.36

There is a whole process students go through after an iPad or any other personal belonging is stolen. I’ve been through this process, I’ve talked to a detective and, though she were really nice, I feel the chances of her actually finding my iPad are slim to none.

First, all the students who are victims of theft get called into the Kolbe Center. Then, one by one, students are called into the conference room, where they talk to a detective. I talked to Detective Johnson of the San Diego Police Department. She was very nice, and she really seemed to care. She asked me when it was stolen, what time it was stolen, and, if the thief was found, whether or not I would want to press charges, which of course I did.

I wonder though, how can they find my iPad? Do they use the app “Find my iPhone”? This app is an iPhone or iPad tracker. On their advice, I tried to use this app when I first realized my iPad was gone, but it didn’t work. The app only works if the device is connected to the internet. My iPad hasn’t connected to the internet, so I obviously cannot track it.

I was really upset when I first realized my iPad was gone. I am usually so careful with my belongings, and I was really disappointed in myself, but I was also upset because my iPad had my school life on it. All my papers, my apps for certain classes, and worksheets were all stolen from me too.

But luckily, Mr. Jack Wager came to the rescue. For those of you who don’t know who he is, let me tell you, he’s the new tech genius and my new hero. He gave me a replacement iPad to borrow, and he made it so all my papers, apps and worksheets were on this new iPad! I love iCloud.

Even though this new iPad looks like my old one, and has all my stuff, it isn’t mine. I feel really violated that someone could just walk into the locker room and go through students’ personal belongings.

The administration tells us to lock the lockers or to leave the iPads in the school lockers in the buildings. Good idea, right? No. My friend sophomore Kara Stevick, followed those rules, but still had problems retrieving her iPad. She left her iPad in the buildings during a track meet that ran a little late. When she went to get her iPad, the buildings were locked. Not a big deal, she thought, she just had to find a security guard. When she did find one, he told her not to leave her iPad in the buildings because they lock at around six, and he told her if he did it for her, he would have to do it for everyone, taking him away from his other duties.

Despite all the security and administration’s sincere efforts to protect the students’ belongings, it seems keeping the iPads safe is still a trial and error process.