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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

DS's bike stolen from school - AIBU to involve the police?

78 replies

PorkyPandora · 30/03/2017 18:06

DS's mountain bike disappeared from secondary school on Tuesday. There is a bike shed which is locked but it's not big enough so many pupils leave their bikes against the railings inside the school grounds.

DS did not secure it with his bike chain which was attached to his bike (he has learned his lesson now). TBF a lot of the other bikes were not tied up either when I looked for his bike the day after as the kids assume they are safe in school grounds.

I emailed the school first thing the next morning, with a picture of the bike. DS went to his Year Head who had received the email but said there was no CCTV in the area and as he hadn't secured it there was nothing they could do.

At lunchtime, DH spoke to the office who said the caretaker had reviewed the CCTV (so there was some) and saw a child in uniform take the bike and he would be further reviewing the CCTV to identify the child and leave it with the Head teacher to deal with. Caretaker came over to DH while he was being told this and confirmed it.

Last night I get a call from the school pastoral manager who said there was no CCTV in the area and as DS had not secured his bike there was nothing they could do! I then repeated what DH had been told which the lady knew nothing about and she said she would speak to the caretaker.

So today passes with no news. DS has not been informed of anything and I have little confidence in the school dealing with it so I decide to report it to the police who have said they will request the CCTV from the school.

AIBU or should school have dealt with this quicker?

OP posts:
kali110 · 30/03/2017 18:07

I don't think yabu at all

Groovee · 30/03/2017 18:08

I'd go to the police.

Hellothereitsme · 30/03/2017 18:10

You did the right thing.

peukpokicuzo · 30/03/2017 18:12

The cctv revealed it to be a pupil who would be difficult to tackle (either a problem delinquent or the golden child offspring of a staff member) and the cctv footage has now been wiped

Original poster
PorkyPandora · 30/03/2017 18:20

Thanks. I was feeling a bit ummm about going over their heads.

I was thinking that myself peukpokicuzo about a 'problem' pupil.

OP posts:
kali110 · 30/03/2017 18:33

I bet the footage has gone op Sad
I'd be making a hell of a complaint

MrsJaniceBattersby · 30/03/2017 18:35

you did the right thing

0dfod · 30/03/2017 18:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Trifleorbust · 30/03/2017 18:54

I don't think it is the school's responsibility to investigate this. Your DS took valuable property into school and he didn't lock it up - I wouldn't want my child's teachers spending their time on this. The police, on the other hand, have a remit to investigate theft, so I would definitely be contacting them.

Original poster
PorkyPandora · 30/03/2017 22:30

Right. Thanks for your 'contribution' Trifle. So I shouldn't have mentioned a theft from school grounds by a pupil to the school at all then? Schools get involved with much more minor incidents than this day after day. The 'valuable property' was a bike which DS needs to get into school like hundreds of other kids everyday, not a mobile phone and whether secured or not, no one has the right to steal something which isn't theirs. I did not expect teachers to spend time investigating this. There are admin staff and caretakers for that and I knew they had CCTV so why wouldn't I ask them to check it?

The police would contact the school anyway.

Strewth! I guess you're a teacher and far too important and busy to be bothered by silly things like a child being upset by a fellow pupil stealing their means of transport to get home. Basic pastoral care surely?

OP posts:
Trifleorbust · 31/03/2017 04:05

PorkyPandora:

You don't need to be snarky. You asked, I answered. There are not admin staff and caretakers 'for that' Shock They have their own jobs. Tell your son to lock up his bike and report theft to police. I don't think you shouldn't have mentioned it; of course you should, just in case an easy solution was possible. But since it isn't, YABU for being cross that school are not investigating it like Hercule Poirot.

Basic pastoral care involves encouraging students to take care of their belongings, not being responsible for them myself.

RainbowPastel · 31/03/2017 08:00

I agree with Trifle why on earth didn't your son lock his bike up? Put a photo on facebook our local site is full of parents posting photos of bikes that have been stolen. Not the schools fault.

00100001 · 31/03/2017 08:07

Well to be fair, her son didn't lock it, because lots of others didn't lock it. He was just unlucky.

He will lock it up from now clearly.

I'd go back to the school and try and find out why you have two different stories.

Trifleorbust · 31/03/2017 08:12

0010001:

That's not fair, it's a bit daft! It stands to reason that an unlocked bike might get nicked. He was unlucky, but that's not really the school's problem.

It is a bit odd that they have two different stories re. the CCTV. I am sure the police will investigate.

BathshebaDarkstone · 31/03/2017 08:17

YANBU. Something was stolen, involve the police. I hope he gets his bike back. Flowers

Capricorn76 · 31/03/2017 08:30

The victim blaming is winding me up.

I often leave my handbag unattended at work. If someone went in it whilst I was at a meeting and stole my purse I would expect my workplace to take it seriously. I am not going to drag my handbag around various meetings (which would look super weird anyway) and if something was stolen from it it would not be my fault as there's not enough space in my laptop locker.

I'd be livid if work shrugged their shoulders and I'd be calling the police like a shot.

BagittoGo · 31/03/2017 08:31

Don't assume another child took your sons bike either.

School should have done a proper investigation and they certainly should not be showing cctv footage to receptionists etc as data protection is there for a reason.

House Insurance won't allow a claim as bike was unlocked. Are you sure it's from the school it was stolen? If so expensive lesson for your son.

Trifleorbust · 31/03/2017 08:33

Capricorn76:

And you would be right to call the police! Of course the person who took the bike is guilty of theft, and the lad isn't to blame, but if you take your valuables to school and leave them unsecured, not see they responsible for them. According to them, they have done what they can to look into it, within reason. They don't have the time to launch a full-on search for the criminal - they have enough to do!

Trifleorbust · 31/03/2017 08:34

*they are not

Fleurdelise · 31/03/2017 08:39

I had the exact same thing happen to DS. His bike was in the bike shed but not secured, the bike shed was unlocked at 3, DS was staying for a revision session and when he went at 4,30 to get his bike it was gone. There were other bikes not secured either but he was the "lucky" one to get his stolen.

While I agree it was DS's fault for not locking it, the school needed to investigate as they potentially had a thief between their student. And they did. Checked the cctv, saw a student in Year 8 taking the bike, called the parents and the pupil, the bike was recovered by mid day the next day after it was stolen. Case closed.

I think you need to insist they look properly into it as it was on school grounds and explain that if they haven't got the time you will get the police involved. I would have if the school wouldn't have reacted so quick.

Trifleorbust · 31/03/2017 08:42

Fleurdelise:

I would be very surprised if the school didn't have a bikes policy (ours does). It clearly says you can bring your bike into school at your own risk. Locking it up is advisable.

BathshebaDarkstone · 31/03/2017 08:45

Bagitto the CCTV footage showed a child in school uniform taking the bike.

IJustWantABrew · 31/03/2017 08:45

I would report it to the police, and then speak to the school about increasing the amount of places for kids to leave bikes safely. They can't expect kids to stay healthy and bike in if there is nowhere to store them.

Fleurdelise · 31/03/2017 08:46

Of course it has a bike policy (and valuables) but that doesn't mean they shouldn't investigate theft. While they wouldn't take any responsibility if they couldn't find the bike they have a duty to check if they can see anything on cctv. The police would ask for it anyway if they get involved.

Mamagin · 31/03/2017 08:46

Talk about victim blaming!