Foxboro Boy Scouts Have Christmas Trees Stolen
FOXBORO (CBS) -- Boy Scouts in Foxboro say they're saddened that someone has stolen a half dozen of the Christmas trees they sell. The empty space where the trees stood seems to symbolize the lack of reasoning behind such a theft in the season of giving.
"People maybe really need the money; desperate times, desperate measures, you know," remarked Troop 7 Scoutmaster Chris Mitchell. He said two trees were stolen Thanksgiving weekend and then four more Monday night. The scouts sell the trees to raise money for their high adventure trips. This summer they plan a canoe trip in Minnesota.
"It's just really sad to see that people are stealing because it's from the Boy Scouts and we do a lot for the community. They're stealing pretty much from themselves because, without the funds, we can't really do too much for the community," said Willie Long, senior patrol leader for Troop 7.
WBZ-TV's Ron Sanders reports.
Foxboro Police Chief Edward O'Leary said he thinks the theft of the Christmas trees is a "sad commentary on the struggles people are having in the community...with unemployment being so high, families in Foxboro have been touched by that and it has impacted them and I think it's just poor decision-making on the part of an individual who feels so desperate," said the chief.
In Tewksbury earlier this week, someone took $150 to $175 in donations for a food pantry from a wishing well in a Christmas display at a family's home.
In Middleboro, Christmas decorations, including nativity scenes, were stolen or destroyed.
"It's discouraging when people steal Christmas trees or steal donation money or steal anything. We've offered in the past to give trees to anybody who needs one and if those people needed one, all they had to do was ask," said Mitchell who thinks, nevertheless, something good will come out of this.
"A woman from the water department just came over when we set up here and said, 'This isn't much, but hopefully it'll help.' So, it was very nice of her to donate a twenty dollar bill to us," added Mitchell. He said he had 73 trees left Thursday afternoon and if 73 people showed up and said they didn't have money to pay for them he'd give them away, but the people wouldn't need to steal.
