City Hall Burglars Take Cash, Checks

By Ryan Burr, The News Herald, Panama City, Fla.

Feb. 21–SPRINGFIELD — Springfield city officials are hashing over ways to keep less money or no money at City Hall after a recent burglary. An undisclosed amount of money, mostly checks to the utility department, was taken sometime between Friday evening and Monday morning, said Mayor Robert Walker. The Bay County Sheriff’s Office took over the investigation Monday at the city’s request, Walker said, because the burglary could involve a former or current employee. “We want to stay neutral,” he said. There were no signs of forced entry into City Hall. The burglar needed a key to get into the city’s vault and a combination to get into the safe. However, both could have been found once the burglar was inside City Hall, Walker said. Sheriff Frank McKeithen said Tuesday there are no suspects, and his investigators plan to interview employees and any other people who may have been around City Hall over the weekend. City officials still are calculating the amount of money that was taken. In the interim, the city is asking all customers who paid their utility bills by check to stop payment and resubmit another check.

—–

Copyright (c) 2007, The News Herald, Panama City, Fla.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.