DeKalb County school officials are using a private service to track down stolen computers, and have recovered as much as $100,000 in hardware in nine months, system spokesman Walter Woods said.

Gary L. Brantley, the new technology chief hired by Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson, recommended using the Computrace service from Austin-based Absolute Software after hearing numerous theft complaints. The company uses software to track computers that are removed from schools.

"We haven't had any big thefts of computers since October when we implemented this," Woods said. About two dozen computers have been recovered.

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The city of Brookhaven's mayor and City Council last week decided to remove the colored panes of glass from the dome of Brookhaven's new City Centre after residents objected to the brightness of the colors, seen here Friday, June 27, 2025. (Reed Williams/AJC)

Credit: Reed Williams/AJC