Apparently what to do about the third removed from the public sidewalk newsrack, caught and photographed by Private Investigator, while still in a Walmart shopping cart. Had been removed all the way to the south end of the lot, became a "decision" problem for Walmart management.

Left with two choices after police refused theft report or to investigate,

1. Put if back on sidewalk, would appear to admit "taking it".
2. Throwing (machine distributing literature protesting illegal city actions) by disposing into dumpster, by permission and encouragement of city police officer.
3. Question: did officer have authority to clear and give permission for disposal of someone else's stolen property?

On day 10, it was decided apparently,..... and newspaper machine disappeared from shopping cart area.

While we were then Installing newspaper machine number four and putting signs on it in the parking lot, a young Walmart parking lot employee with a bright orange vest came running out.......

Saying in an excited and animated voice, Stop, Stop, You can not put that out here...You have to talk to a manager or he will just have us throw it in the compactor. (bless his heart...he was trying his best to stop us from losing another machine, but we just were not listening....and continued).

"Really," we said..."is that what happened to the other machines"...."Yes", he said "they were thrown in the compactor and you had better not put this one out without talking to a manager or that would happen again with this one too"

We stopped work for a bit and then resumed. He came running back, when he seen we had not given up the project and said, very emphatically "you have to talk to a manager, you can not just put that out without talking to a manager"...

By the way, we took audio and video of employee with camera phone, for identification.

We finally agreed and told him to "go get a manager", we would wait right here."

With no manager showing up, or even in sight after 45 minutes on the scene, we left.

We feel rather badly, that this parking lot employee, might become unemployed for our reporting this, after all, he was trying to do not only his job well in looking after Walmart interest, he tried his darndest to get us out of there and he really was trying to do us a favor and keep us from losing another expensive newspaper machine.

We called and talked to police detectives Monday,

• We were later informed they would now combine this theft on a report of the previous machines which did have theft reports
• We informed them this third machine was now on the tenth day, suddenly gone from the shopping cart lot. Parts unknown,
• Notified them that we had installed newsrack number four on the public sidewalk on the corner.
• That we had employee supplied information that the machines were being disposed of in the compactor.
• That we were not interested in prosecuting any Walmart employees.
• That we would like to recoup and be reimbursed for our extensive loses
• We wanted to obtain some type of assurance our machines were going to be left alone.

   

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