WAYNE, Mich. – A Wayne Boy Scout Troop’s camping plans are in jeopardy after thieves stole their equipment trailer from a Detroit business parking lot.
Surveillance video showed two trailers being stolen early Friday (May 2) morning from Security Steel Processing on Coyle Street on the city’s west side.
One of the trailers belonged to Boy Scout Troop 1736 and contained essential camping gear for upcoming summer activities.
“They came up here with some sort of grinding tool and cut the link right here, and they were able to open the gate,” Troop 1736 Scoutmaster Cory Buckalew said.
The entire theft took approximately seven minutes to execute.
“We really liked having (the trailer). It was working really well for the kids. And somebody decided that they wanted it more than we did. So I’m really disappointed in that,” he said.
The theft may impact upcoming scout activities.
“It’s going to make it really difficult for us to get to camp,” Buckalew said. “We have a campout scheduled a week from Friday, and to replace all that gear in just a couple of weeks, we may have to cancel the campout.”
He said summer camp is the most important part of the scouting year.
“Next month, we are going for a week-long camp experience in northern Michigan, and I’m hoping that we can get everything put together in time,” Buckalew said.
Rather than seeking punishment for the thieves, Buckalew is focusing on recovering the equipment.
“This belonged to the kids. If you want to give it back to us, I’m not going to make a big deal about it. We just want our stuff back so we can continue to run the camping program,” Buckalew said.
Buckalew filed a police report with the Detroit Police Department.
The department is investigating, a DPD spokesperson said.
The Troop has set up a GoFundMe for help replacing their trailer and gear.