Police: No Burglary Trend in School Lots

Police say the two burglaries at two Baltimore County Public Schools-owned lots in Essex over the same weekend last month were not related.

Baltimore County police spokeswoman Cpl. Cathy Batton said the department is not aware of any trends relating to county school lots in recent weeks. Batton said she "wouldn't consider them at any higher risk" than other burglary targets.

On Sept. 21, a police helicopter spotted a school bus in a depot with its headlights on, breaking up what police believe was an attempted fuel theft. Between Sept. 21 and 24, catalytic converters were removed from three school system-owned food service trucks in an unlocked lot.

Schools spokesman Charles Herndon said last week that the school system is "certainly aware of these thefts" and that officials are looking at ways to improve security.

"I don't know the details of that but that's certainly something we're looking at options about," he said. "It's certainly something we take very seriously."