Motorcycles and helmets were stolen from a driver's educational program off of Rutherford County school property.
Usually the bikes are locked up inside a large, metal storage unit at Oakland High School in Murfreesboro, but someone decided to break in.
"They snipped it right here," said Kelly Appleton.
She said thieves then made off with three of the motorcycles along with nine helmets and a metal loading ramp.
"People steal everything, but I'm blessed it only happened once in 19 years. I don't think the state program has ever had any stolen. It's the first time," said Appleton.
That may be because no one ever considered stealing from such an important program.
"It's kind of like driver's ed for a motorcycle. It is driver's ed for a motorcycle, but it's not on the curriculum. It's voluntary," said Appleton.
"These motorcycles are the equivalent of cars in drivers education classes," confirmed Sgt. Kyle Evans with the Murfreesboro Police Department.
He said the thefts happened early Friday morning. If those responsible think they were only stealing from a school program, they should also know that some of the motorcycles are actually on loan from the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
And the state will want them back. The bikes are 250CC Suzukis.
"It's no powerhouse, but it's the perfect vehicle to teach you how to shift and how to break," said Appleton.
She guesses the culprits in the case were likely young people, possibly even former pupils who were familiar with the motorcycles.
Yet, police said there was no indication it was students.
They were still pursuing leads. It's worth noting the motorcycles stolen have no titles so they can't be licensed or sold, so they'll likely be canabized for parts.
Police indicate there was surveillance video of the theft, and they are actively working to identify those caught in the act on camera.
