Practice News Article #3: Crime

Local Church Building Vandalized
Madison Hintze

In the early morning hours on September 19 the church building belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was apparently broken into. However, there was no forced entry. A window was left open to an office room on the backside of the building. The intruders were easily able to climb in. In a press conference following the incident, Sheriff Deputy Geoffrey Hasty informed the public that the items stolen consisted of two CPU’s, and the items vandalized were two computer monitors. “I don’t think it has anything to do with religion. I think the persons of interest knew that there was valuable equipment inside the building.” Said Officer Hasty. He also has been lead to believe that there are two suspects involved, whose names have not yet been released. They are following leads that include fingerprints and also the K-9’s were brought in to track scent.

Bob Knotz, who is the Physical Management Manager for not only this LDS church building, but also five others, was the first to arrive on the scene. Bob arrived to the church house around six a.m. The first thing he noticed was that the door was unlocked. When he saw the two vandalized computer monitors sitting inside the door smashed to pieces, he immediately called the police. Bob Knotz has seen other vandalism incidents while serving as the ‘PM Guy.’ “This is not the reason I enjoy being the PM Guy, I don’t like dealing with this stuff, but it comes with the job. I just hope whoever took the CPU’s really needed them. If it was someone who does this frequently, I don’t have much sympathy.”

The Bishop, Larry Shirk, of this particular ward house was the last to leave the building the night the intruders got in. LDS church policy requires that at least two individuals be in the building at all times. Bishop Shirk was in the building with a counselor that left only minutes before he did. Larry remembers opening the window in his office, but completely forgot about it as he was leaving around 11:00 p.m. The CPU’s that have been taken were recently replaced with a new computer system. Bishop Shirk said that the CPU’s along with the monitors had been sitting on his office floor; meaning no important or confidential information will be lost. “I’m glad that no one was in the building, that could have made things a lot worse.” When asked how the church would handle the legal situation involving this incident, Bishop Shirk said, “We do prosecute and we do sustain the laws of the land.”