Police investigate burglary at Dirigo Middle School
By Terry Karkos
Staff Writer

DIXFIELD – Burglaries continue to plague SAD 21’s middle school off Weld Street.

On Thursday, Police Chief Richard A. Pickett and officer Mark Dow fielded a report of another possible break-in at the T.W. Kelly Dirigo Middle School.

But unlike other such incidents since school began, police believe this burglary may soon be solved and a culprit nabbed.

“We have some physical evidence that was left at the scene, so we’re very hopeful that we’ll solve this in fairly short order,” Dow said Tuesday afternoon.

He declined to specify the evidence, citing ongoing investigations.

Dirigo Middle School Principal Thomas Starratt said Tuesday that school officials on Thursday discovered markings on a door that had been pried open and called police.

Sometime over Labor Day weekend, someone pried open a back door into the kitchen storeroom, disarmed an alarm and ransacked several offices. Money and personal checks made out to Dirigo Middle School were targeted in the break-ins. The school was hit again on either the night of Sept. 3 or morning of Sept. 4.

A break-in was also discovered at Dixfield Elementary School on Sept. 7.

While police continue to investigate the crimes, Starratt said he welcomed their increased patrols and help with attempting to solve the problems.

To complement police work, Starratt said he had also significantly increased security measures.

In other police news, help is being sought from the public in finding a stolen bicycle and tricycle.

Dow said the bicycle, a silver, 20-inch BMX, was stolen Friday from a Mill Street residence. The tricycle was taken from the Meadowbrook Terrace trailer park sometime on Sept. 17, the day it was reported missing.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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