Crime & Safety

What Would You Do With a Stolen School Bus?

Police now have some insight on the thieves that may be stealing school buses in Affton and Jefferson County.

Can no one stop these darings heists of...school buses?

Though police are still somewhat baffled by the , camera footage of the most recent theft from the Windsor school bus lot in Imperial, MO, may provide investigators with their first clues in the case.

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STLToday reported Friday that the trend noticed in Affton has also been afflicting Jefferson County schools as well. The total now reaches eight buses gone missing since May.

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A security camera caught the bus driving away from the Windsor lot at 3 a.m. Saturday, STLToday reports. Jefferson County police believe the thieves used bolt cutters to cut chains securing the gates, and then refastened the chains with new padlocks to hopefully delay authorities noticing their crime.

The most recent theft in the Affton area was from at , 11015 Mueller Road in Green Park.

Jefferson County police think some parts from the stolen buses may be showing up in area scrap yards, but at Patch we wonder if the thieves might have more esoteric purposes in mind.

Could you live in a school bus? They are bigger than some mobile homes if you remove the seats. Imagine decking one out with curtains and furniture, and rolling across the country on an educational road trip.

In Canada a survivalist used 42 school buses to construct an underground nuclear fallout shelter. Might the thieves be trying to gear up for pop culture predictions of apocalypse in 2012?

On the other hand, if Hollywood has taught us anything about buses, it is that they are useful in planning a bank robbery. In Swordfish the thieves take to the air in their escape bus thanks to a freight-lifting helicopter. In The Dark Knight the Joker uses a school bus to disappear after a heist into midday traffic.

With state funding for public education looking ever more precarious, some districts are looking for savings in student transportation. The Bayless School District eliminated bussing in 2010, though they are hoping to bring it back if . Maybe the thieves hope to start their own discount bussing company to capitalize on budget cuts?

Vote in our poll and tell us what you think the thieves are up to, or make your own suggestion in the comments below!


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