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KUGLUKTUK/COPPERMINE
Kugluktuk High School has been the target of five break-ins in the past month, according to a police press release.

RCMP stated the incidents remain under investigation but one youth is facing four counts of mischief and three counts of break-and-enter. The youth will appear in court in Kugluktuk in November, police added.

Principal Gary Kennedy said the last break-in was Oct. 12.

"We had five break-ins over a period of about three weeks," he said. "In the visitors' centre, we had to repair some mannequins. Some of the tools and artifacts that are kept in the visitors' centre were stolen and were damaged. Thankfully, touch wood, they're not breaking the windows or really damaging anything."

In the visitors' centre, he added, some of the stolen items are not replaceable. Kennedy said books were damaged on one occasion.

"Food constantly was taken at every break-in," he said. "(In) the first break-in ... they looked like they were trying to set paper on fire with a glue gun because the glue gun was plugged in and they had shred paper on top of it. I am not quite sure what they were doing there. Other than that, there hasn't been really too much major damage. More just nuisance-type stuff."

What motivates the youth to break into the high school is still a mystery to Kennedy.

Right now, he said the school wants to focus on solving any issue that might motivate youth to break into the school, whether it be boredom or lack of parental supervision. Fixing the school's alarm system, which has not been functioning for the past year, is also a priority, said Kennedy. He said the Department of Community and Government Services is aware of the situation.

"It's a been a great start to our school year being that attendance and enrolment is up," said Kennedy. "We're feeling good about things. It does wear on you but we have to persevere on and keep doing what we're doing for those students that are coming every day."

Student safety is the Department of Education's main priority, stated Catriona MacLeod, a spokeswoman with the department, via e-mail.

"We are working closely with the Department of Community and Government Services to solve this issue as quickly as possible," she stated.

As for CGS, it is "working closely with the security systems operator to secure and install replacement parts and are working to re-commission the alarm system as soon as possible," according to spokeswoman Hillary Casey.

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