SIKESTON -- The wheels of justice are said to turn slowly, but not in every case.
Stealing a trailer full of American flags on Memorial Day weekend from a charitable organization is bound to be one such exception.
At 2:08 p.m. Sunday, officers with Sikeston Department of Public Safety responded to the parking lot of Bo's Heating and Cooling Supply, 491 Davis Blvd., in reference to a report of the theft of a 6-by-12-foot enclosed trailer belonging to the Sikeston Kiwanis Club, according to DPS reports.
Upon their arrival, officers made contact with Kiwanis Club members who said the trailer was left out to put out American flags for Memorial Day observance. The trailer was stolen sometime between Saturday and Sunday, and it's believed it had been stolen overnight, according to reports. The lock had also been cut on the trailer, which stored about 100 American flags valued at $50 each.
"These flags are part of our flag program, which we started several years ago to raise money for scholarships," said Jack Vincent, a longtime Sikeston Kiwanis Club member. "Kiwanis just placed about 520 American flags in yards throughout the area."
Vincent said that the flag program, which is conducted on six patriotic holidays each year for $50, will fund at least $15,000 in scholarships this year to high school graduates to help with college expenses.
"We have a patriotic community, and the flag program provides a great way to express our patriotism and invest in our kids' education," said Vincent.
The Kiwanis Club stores the flags and replaces the damaged ones which makes the program an easy sell, according to Vincent.
While DPS officers were on the scene Sunday, Kiwanis Club members started receiving word that some of the flags from the missing trailer were located.
"The flags were recovered over the weekend, thanks to a good Samaritan," Vincent said.
A Mississippi County farmer, John Hutchison, and his son Clint were checking their fields when they saw the flags dumped in some brush, according to Vincent. Some of the flags were still in a box which contained a shipping label. Hutchison contacted the person whose name was on the shipping label and so the flags were safely returned, Vincent said.
"Stealing is bad enough, but stealing and dumping these American flags upsets a lot of people because the American flag is a symbol of the values we hold as a democracy," Vincent said "Those thieves will find swift justice in this case."
As of early Tuesday, the trailer had not been located, and further information regarding the matter was unavailable.