Crime is down? Senior Center robbed

Editorial by Matt Marquardt –

It has been reported in another local media that crime is down in Mason City.

Although your mayor and city council are also going along with this notion, playing their typical game of ignoring reality and truth, I’m not buying it.

Yesterday, the Mason City Senior Center, located at 326 4th Street NE was robbed.  Turns out this is just the latest incident there, according to Director Val Sliger, who has run the place for the last 9 years.

Some time ago, robbers took off with their storage shed.  Yes, I said a storage shed.  It was behind the building near the Charlie Brown Daycare, from which the Senior Center was borrowing it.  “We thought Charlie Brown  wanted it back,” Sliger said.  “They didn’t.  They didn’t know what happened to it or where it went.”

Then, more recently, thieves made off with their security cameras.

Now, just this past Wednesday morning, the Senior Center, a place where older folks can come to socialize and enjoy themselves, have a meal and play bingo, was the victim of a more brazen act.

This time, thieves made their way in a back door, damaging it.  They broke into the director’s office and stole an amount of cash that was for charity.

Then, they went to a large, intimidating safe that looks like it would be impossible for your average low-life criminal to bust.

But these thieves came prepared with power tools and perhaps a plan.

According to Sliger and another source, the thieves drug the safe into the men’s room where they could turn on a light and see what they were doing.

They used what appeared to be a circular saw and tried to cut through the safe’s exterior.  When that didn’t work, they drilled through the dial on the door and the safe finally popped open.  They took everything but 26 cents.  (See photo of safe, where the drill hole is, and then a mark from what could be a circular saw.  There were several of these marks.)

Mason City police were called and arrived at 7:28 AM Wednesday morning.  They performed an investigation all day and the center was closed all of Wednesday.  It is back open Thursday.

I stopped to chat with folks at the Senior Center early this afternoon.

The incident “left us a little scared, not sure why they picked on senior center,” Sliger said.

A group of people (pictured, below) enjoying lunch at a table offered a few thoughts.

“(Another media) wrote the other day that crime is down.  Then they had a story that said to lock your doors,” one woman said.  “Which is it?”

“This was a cold act,” another woman said.  “They may have seen the pot (winnings) available after the next bingo game.”  A sign on the wall said $600 available to bingo winners.

All agreed, the robbery was scary and that crime is a major concern in the city and were thankful no one was there at the time.  They all said they lock their doors at night.

Now, Sliger says that the Senior Center will be more prepared.

“We will be making our building more secure,” she said, without elaborating for obvious reasons.

As always, Mason City police said that citizens should report anything suspicious by calling 641-421-3636.  Police don’t have any suspects at this time and are still investigating.