Thief steals donated tools from Wildcat Glades shed – Joplin Globe

The Wildcat Glades Friends Group, a nonprofit that helps maintain Wildcat Park and the surrounding chert glades habitat, reported to police earlier this week the theft of items from its maintenance shed.

The entrance to the shed was destroyed sometime between Saturday night and Monday morning, with items including trail maintenance equipment, Shoal Creek Water Festival materials, a lawn mower, a chain saw, a tree trimmer, brooms and rakes stolen, said Robin Standridge, the group's executive director.

Staff with the Joplin Parks and Recreation Department replaced the shed's door and wall to secure the building, but the shed was broken into a second time sometime Monday night or early Tuesday, Standridge said.

"The items stolen were items donated to keep this park beautiful for the community," she said in a statement posted to the Wildcat Glades Friends Group's Facebook page. "This should outrage all of our supporters. We are a not-for-profit. We maintain this area out of love and respect for our community and for the beautiful habitat Joplin has been gifted."

Capt. Nick Jimenez, with the Joplin Police Department, said the theft was first reported to the department on Monday. A door to the maintenance shed had been pried open; the incident report lists items that were stolen, including two leaf blowers, two saws, a trimmer, an ice chest, tents and tools, he said.

Standridge said some of the stolen items have "Wildcat Glades" written on them. Those items, if spotted, should be reported to the Joplin Police Department, she said. The group will press for criminal charges if any suspects are identified, she said.

"We're really grateful for the outpouring of support," Standridge said in an interview with the Globe. "We're asking that people keep their eyes and ears open."

The friends group has since installed motion-sensor lights and three cameras around the old ballfields at Wildcat Park, where the shed is located, Standridge said. As an additional safety measure, it also has removed some barrier walls to make the shed a little more visible to the nearby road, she said.

"We'll just assess if those are going to be adequate," she said.

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Thief steals donated tools from Wildcat Glades shed - Joplin Globe