The safety of students, Cathedral Catholic High School’s primary focus, became challenged when students Brennan Wilhite ’17 and Chase Reynolds ’17 arrived at their cars last month, only to find their belongings stolen, broken, or misplaced.

“At first I was really confused because everything that had been in my car was completely out of place,” Wilhite said. “My glove box and middle console were opened and the contents were thrown all over. Mine and my sister’s volleyball bags were emptied out and our clothes were laying everywhere. All of the seats in my car were put down.”

After noticing the loss of her watch and the destruction left in her car, the incident caused Wilhite, a varsity volleyball player and dedicated student, feeling robbed.

“When I realized someone had gone through all of my stuff, it made me really upset,” Wilhite said. “I lost my watch, which made me sad because it meant a lot to me.”

Reynolds also experienced shock and fear when he came to his burglarized car.

“My initial feelings when I first realized my car was broken into were very confusing,” Reynolds said. “It was all about trying to determine if it was real or not. I didn’t really believe that it happened to me.” 

The investigation process seemed unreasonable, due to the damage already done, he said. However, Reynolds found that in his case the CCHS security guards ranked as the most important authorities in settling the confusion and destruction.

“The first person I sought for help was Steve, the security guard,” Reynolds said. “He was really helpful and came to my car right away. The investigation process was very relaxed.”

Despite these moments of fear, the security guards and Dean of Students Mr. Michael Wallace consoled the worried students about their lost items, even though the recovery process remained unfinished.

“Since the incident, we have made some enforcements, one being the increase in security patrol,” Mr. Wallace said. “We are also reminding students to make sure their vehicles are locked, as well as checking their cars to check that no valuables are visible and aren’t tempting anyone.”

Other efforts include the increase of security cameras both on campus and in the parking lot once construction on the solar panels finishes.

“Since we can’t increase the number of security officers, we are adding security cameras, which allow us to see more of what’s going on,” Mr. Wallace said. “What we advise of students is to not walk by themselves at night after athletic events and to make sure they are parked under lights where they are less vulnerable.”

Many communities, such as Encinitas and Chula Vista, previously experienced similar car theft robberies in prior months; however, the unexpected situation on campus surprised students and faculty since the crime rates of break-ins seemed to disappear.

Mr. Wallace, security, and administration have gone to great lengths to achieve the tightest security possible for the sake of the school by contacting the San Diego Police Department.

“We are working with the SDPD, who are coming in and helping us to find the weak points in security and the ways we can change it to build up our security protocols and keep everyone safe,” Mr. Wallace said.

The SDPD has set out a list of prevention tips to avoid theft, all of which apply to the safety of not just citizens, but CCHS students in particular. With the rise of car break-ins not just in the school community, but in the nation, safety precautions remain highly enforced.

“Since the incident, I make sure that my car is locked and that all valuables are out of plain sight,” Reynolds said. “Whenever I have the chance, I park in the most remote parking spot, generally away from other cars.”

Wilhite similarly finds that her personal actions weaken the chances of experiencing a car robbery again, as well as the guidance of the school security team.

“I think that after this incident, security is patrolling the parking lot more and making sure that people’s cars are locked and secure,” Wilhite said. “I think a lot of students take for granted the nice area our school is located in and don’t think twice about locking their cars.

“After cars got broken into, I think students are more aware of the fact that they should lock their cars and be more careful.”

As for the future of the safety of the school, the security team supports making new efforts to keep the campus intact, primarily by tightening security.

“While Cathedral is a great community, there are many other people that use this facility,” Mr. Wallace said. We have a lot of off-campus people that come her who might not have the same sense of family or personal belonging that we do. We should always keep that in mind before we leave stuff around, whether it be in the locker rooms or in our cars.”