Dec 2, 2008 11:59 pm US/Eastern
$30,000 Stolen From Miami-Dade County Parks Dept.
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
Whether kids and teens are cheering their hearts out for their team or taking one for the team, they and their parents agree, having nice, well-maintained parks is important. Parks across the city could use some extra money to clean them up. Some have dirty restrooms and scattered trash.
Parents, like Vanessa Egued also want to see other improvements."Security would be nice and lightning sensors for the fields," she said
But now, the Miami-Dade Parks Department, which already struggles with a tight budget, is out an additional chunk of change.
CBS4's Natalia Zea has learned someone stole $30,000 from the petty cash safe in the Parks Department's downtown office. Sources also tell Zea, that police believe it was an inside job, not a random burglary.
The money went missing Friday, August 29th during lunchtime hours. Only a few Park employees and managers have access to the safe, but police have named no suspects and no one has come forward.
"It's wrong, it's despicable to me," said Egued. She added that she feels the thief stole directly from her daughter and the other children who use County Parks.
"It's money for them. Not for us. It's their money, they should respect that."
Parents have just one thing to say to the thief or thieves who decided to put county park dollars into their own personal piggy bank.
"Return the money, return the money, think about our kids," concerned parent Morena Reyes said.
CBS4 News has also learned the thief was not as greedy as he or she could have been. Even though that person stole $30,000, he or she left behind an additional $70,000 in the safe.
Zea asked officials in the Parks Department and the Mayor's Office why so much cash was kept in an office safe, but neither office will comment until the police investigation is complete.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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