When the news spread that backpacks had been stolen in broad daylight at Caven Field on Sept. 5, dozens of frantic field hockey players dropped their sticks in the middle of practice and sprinted to the covered pavilion to see if they had become the latest victims of crime on and around campus. 

The backpacks that varsity and JV1 players had put on the side of the pavilion facing the field were still there. While most JV2 field hockey players found their items untouched, five freshmen were not so lucky.

Unlike the theft of backpacks involving the girls’ cross-country team at an off-campus, early morning practice on the first day of school, no cars were broken into. All the backpacks taken were filled with phones, laptops and school work.

“It’s one of those things you think is never going to happen to you,” Collier Humphreys said. “It’s super weird and the worst feeling.”

Humphreys was one of the first to notice that her bag was missing. Initially, some freshmen thought that it was a prank but soon realized the reality of the situation. As parents arrived to pick up their students after practice, coaches called campus security, and Houston Police Department officers arrived soon after. 

“I was first scared for the other girls who lost their bags because I didn’t realize my bag was gone too,” Ava Phan said. “I didn’t see anyone at the pavilion.”

With thefts happening more frequently, Director of Safety Richard Still emphasizes that burglars and thieves are attracted to large gatherings and unattended bags. Although visible gym bags left in an individual’s car may not contain items of value, the fact that a phone or computer could be inside is enough incentive for criminals to break in. School administrators remind students to keep their belongings both locked and hidden—and always report any suspicious activity.

According to Still and Head of Upper School Hollis Amley, the School plans on reimbursing the students for their losses, and teachers have offered extra time for students whose backpacks were stolen to re-complete classwork and copy notes. Field hockey players are being instructed to keep their belongings in a storage locker during practice at Caven Field until further notice.