The Selma Times-Journal

Whatever the reason, theft is a crime. And The Selma Times-Journal needs the community’s help to fight it.

On Monday night, the STJ was victim to newspaper rack vandals.

Two racks were damaged at two different locations.

One of them was even stolen – yes, the whole rack.

“I found it under the (Edmund Pettus) bridge,” STJ Circulation Director Frank Harrison said.

The stolen rack was removed from the front a Conoco gas station

on Highland Avenue.

The other rack was badly damaged and deemed inoperable.

The whole head of the rack where the change is collected was completely torn off.

Thieves may only get a few dollars – if any – from the racks, but they will have caused thousands of dollars in damage.

This is not the first occurance racks have been damaged or stolen.

According to Harrison, he has found racks under the bridge at Cahaba as well as under the Edmund Pettus Bridge downtown.

“These are high-traffic areas,” Harrison said.

The vandals are not targeting the STJ racks specifically. Harrison said he has found other racks dumped right alongside them.

The recent theft and vandalism poses a problem for newspaper carriers as well. It can take hours to run a route and to come across a rack that has been robbed or has vanished can be disheartening for those who depend on rack sales for income.

If anyone has any information regarding these acts of theft and vandalism, please call the Selma Police Department or call the STJ at 875-2110.