Ill. Paper Offers Reward to Catch Newsrack Thieves

By: Joe Strupp The Rockford (Ill.) Register Star is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest of thieves who have stolen 44 newsracks in the past two months, the paper reported today.

Register Star Circulation Manager Rick Szabrak said the thefts, which began in November, have spanned several area communities. He said 11 of the stolen boxes were found in a house whose tenants had been evicted, but no arrests were made.

"It's been from the whole area -- Rockford, Loves Park, Belvidere," Szabrak said in today's paper. He said each rack is worth about $450, but they usually only hold "a minimal" amount of money from consumers.

Szabrak said the number of thefts was unusual, as the paper typically loses only about two or three racks each year. "It is affecting sales," Szabrak said. "What's more, it's probably upsetting people who are used to going to a certain spot and getting their paper."

Rockford Deputy Police Chief Dominic Iasparro told the paper that a reward was sought in an effort to help "loosen lips' of those who might know something about the case.

"When people know there's a possibility for a reward, they'll say something," the deputy chief said.

The Register Guard reward comes about a month after the The Decatur (Ala.) Daily caught an alleged newsrack thief after he was seen on videotape placing a news box in a truck. The paper had placed images of the video on its front page with a plea to readers for help.