Police Determine How Emerson School Intruder Entered, Remedy Situation

Written by Pam DeFiglio, Patch.com

After an intruder broke into District 64's Emerson Middle School in Niles at about 2:30 a.m. last Wednesday, Aug. 21, Principal Jim Morrison said police have determined how the person entered the school and have rectified the situation.

"Our system worked exactly as it was supposed to work," Morrison said, referring to the school's alarm and security system. 

Niles police showed up quickly after the intruder entered the building and saw the intruder in the area near where he entered, the Park Ridge-Niles District 64 principal said. The responding officers set up vehicles around the area, but did not catch the intruder, who fled, he continued.

Related: Burglary at Emerson Middle School on Aug. 21

When the police report was released Saturday, it said police had not at that time determined how the intruder entered the building. Morrison said they subsequently made that determination and remedied it.

"We found the location where he entered via the security system we have," he said. "We made sure we figured out what the issue was."

The intruder was not in the building more than a few minutes, Morrison said, and nothing was taken.

At the time of the incident, police alerted Morrison, who came to the building.

"We searched the building for several hours," he said. The police report noted a K9 team from the Highland Park Police Department searched the building, and then a Niles Police Department K9 team searched it again.

"It was a great response by the police department," Morrison said.