South San Francisco Parents Seek Changes After Prowlers Spotted At Schools

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) – Parents of children in South San Francisco schools are demanding increased safety after suspicious people were seen lurking around campuses, including a man who exposed himself to a group of girls.

"We don't want our kids ending up in a morgue. We don't want our kids to be raped," said Rick Barela, whose daughter attends South San Francisco High School.

Barela and his wife Christine worry that their child is not safe after a man burst into the girl's locker room on Monday and exposed himself to several cheerleaders.

"A naked man comes into the high school gym? How is that allowed?" asked Christine Barela.

That's what the Barela's and several other angry parents came to ask the South San Francisco School Board at a meeting on Thursday night.

"We have a right to know when our children are in danger. We have a right to know when there's an active predator in our community," a parent told the board.

Parents worry that there are several predators prowling school campuses lately. On New Year's Day, a naked man was spotted on the playground at Spruce Elementary. Nine days later at nearby Buri Buri Elementary, a trespasser wearing a trench coat was seen.

School board members told KPIX 5 that they are already making some changes. A locking fence at one of the elementary schools has been built. At the high school, they have started locking the entrance to the locker rooms as soon as school is out. The board also promised future discussion on the subject.

He and the other parents said they want changes now, starting with the installation of surveillance cameras at the high school.

"Cameras can tell you a lot where your eyes aren't," Christine Barela said.

The board made no decisions on the matter Thursday, but they said they would be open to more discussions about surveillance cameras at their annual retreat on Saturday.