Four Crime Scenes:

Small Loot and Big Trouble in Daycare Heists

In Marchtrenk, the burglars broke into four kindergartens(Bild: Reinhard Holl)

It’s a huge headache, but only a tiny haul! In Marchtrenk, burglars broke into four municipal kindergartens over the weekend without being seen. They caused tens of thousands of euros in damage but made off with only a few euros in craft supplies. And at one facility, the police left apology letters for the parents, who weren’t allowed to drop off their children.

Burglars in Marchtrenk took advantage of the weekend to carry out a series of break-ins. On Monday at 7 a.m., staff members from four of the six municipal kindergartens alerted city hall: “We’ve been broken into!” The thieves had pried open windows, smashed glass, and broken into and ransacked locked cabinets inside the buildings. Thousands of euros in property damage were offset by a mere 127 euros in cash—from a total of two kindergartens—as loot.

Forensic investigation took place in the morning
At one kindergarten, there was some extra organizational work because the police sent parents and children home due to the ongoing forensic investigation. “They gave parents pre-printed excuse notes so they wouldn’t have to use up a day of vacation,” says Mayor Paul Mahr (SPÖ).

“Hardly Any Cash in Municipal Facilities”
And he emphasizes that break-ins at the roughly 30 buildings under the city administration’s jurisdiction aren’t worth the trouble. “There’s a directive that only small amounts of cash may be kept on site; the rest must always be deposited immediately into the city treasury,” explains the mayor.

They Also Broke Into Private Homes
The burglars apparently weren’t satisfied with the loot from the kindergartens either, as they also broke into several private buildings on the outskirts of town. The total amount of damage and stolen goods from these incidents has yet to be tallied.