Tampering suspected at Earle City Shop

Tampering suspected at Earle City Shop

Department director airs concerns over protecting equipment, gas pumps

news@theeveningtimes.com

There’s something strange going on at the city shop in Earle.

Street Department Director William Eaves told the city council that somebody got inside the shop and tampered with the equipment.

“It’s not the first time,” Eaves said.

According to Eaves, he locked the shop on Friday and when he went back Saturday evening to spray for mosquitoes, he noticed that the lock was facing the other way from when he left it.

“I’ve got a bad hand so I lock it so it faces this (right) side,” Eaves said. “I lock it this way because of my hand. The lock was turned around.”

Eaves said he routinely checks the oil and fluids on the equipment but noticed this time that somebody had left the PTO stick which engages the mower blades on the tractor in the engaged position, and the throttle up.

“I disengaged it and cranked it up,” Eaves said.

“But lo and behold, somebody had the throttle up full blast. I thought, who would do that unless you want to tear it up.”

Eaves said he and Mayor Carolyn Jones are the only ones who are supposed to have keys to the shop and suspects that somebody may have a master key and is deliberately tampering with the city’s equipment.

Eaves suggested that the city put up cameras to keep a more secure watch on the shop.

“I’m just bringing this to your attention,” Eaves said.

“It’s just my opinion. But we have equipment in that shop and if somebody had a master key, they can get into our gas pumps. We need a camera to stop this stuff because you can’t have somebody watching the shop 24/7.”

Mayor Jones agreed.

“We need to do something,”

Jones said. “I think

it (a camera) would be worth it because somebody is definitely tampering with equipment.”

The city has discussed installing cameras on the fuel pumps in the past after continually coming up short in their fuel supply.

Councilwoman Jimmie Barham asked whether they could just replace the locks. “If there are three keys floating out there, I’m just wondering,” Barham said.

Eaves said the city has already changed the locks.

“We’ve done that,” Eaves said. “But I’ve heard somebody could have a master key. I don’t know much about that. But if they have a master key, they can get in to any lock.”

Councilman Bobby Luckett said he would check into buying a more secure tamper-proof lock with a specialized key and report back to the city council.

“I will go and see if I can find one,” Luckett said.

By Mark Randall