Two parking meters stolen
Two parking meters in the small lot south of Old Main were ripped out of the ground and stolen this week.
Sgt. Shane Sessions of Utah State University Police said a meter reader noticed the first one missing Monday. The police called Facilities to see if the meter had been moved for construction purposes. It had not.
A person or people had removed the meter from its concrete base.
“I’m not sure how they did it,” Sessions said.
Two days later, sometime between 11:30 a.m. and 3:15 p.m., another meter was stolen from the same lot.
Sessions speculated motives behind the theft.
“Somebody’s upset at the parking office,” he said, maybe for outstanding tickets.
Or maybe someone stole the meters as a prank and would like to showcase them in his apartment, he said. There’s also a chance the incident could be the result of initiation.
Whatever the reason, it is unique someone would steal two meters from the same area in a three-day period, Sessions said. Because of Thanksgiving Break, though, there’s no telling whether the first meter was really stolen Monday.
“We don’t have any ideas,” he said. “No leads at all.”
If the thief is caught, there will be an “interesting criminal charge” against him, Sessions said.
The $600 value of both meter sets combined will set the charge at a class-A misdemeanor.
The meters are emptied every Tuesday, so the one stolen Monday could have contained anywhere from $10 to $20, Sessions said. Wednesday’s wouldn’t have had more than a couple of dollars.
The thief will have to put out a lot of effort and cause a lot of damage to find out the exact amounts, he said, because the meters are well-secured.
“For the crime they’re committing, they’re not getting much in return,” Sessions said.
Anyone who has information about the stolen meters should contact USU Police.
–amarie@cc.usu.edu