By OLIVIA BERGMEIER
Salina Post
Employees at the Salina Grace Community Resource Center called Salina Police Department officers after finding evidence of a burglary and theft in the organization's day shelter area.
The alleged burglary occurred at the community organization's new location at 315 S. Broadway Avenue.
According to SPD Capt. James Feldman, employees found shoe prints on furniture and snacks missing when they arrived for work around 7:15 a.m. on Tuesday, April 2.
"They [employees] reviewed their video surveillance, which showed a white male inside the business after closing," Feldman said. "Officers responded and were able to identify the subject as Justin Chappell, a 33-year-old male from Salina."
Feldman said the surveillance footage showed Chappell staying at the Community Resource Center after it closed at 4 p.m. on Monday, April 1.
Chappell left the resource center sometime overnight.
Employees told officers that Chappell was a frequent visitor at the resource center, so he returned to the building for lunch the following day.
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There, staff called SPD, and officers arrived and arrested Chappell with requested charges for burglary and theft.
Chad Young, the executive director of the Salina Grace Foundation, said that although Chappell trespassed and stole items from the resource center, he would prefer that he not be charged for his actions.
"This does not help anything — it only hurts," Young said. "It feeds into negative stereotypes. This was just an individual having a difficult time, and his whole goal was self-preservation."
"He didn't break in, and no, he didn't steal anything I wouldn't have given him freely."
The resource center staff did nothing wrong, but Young said he intends to establish a different protocol for employees in similar situations. Most residents experiencing financial challenges or homelessness are law-abiding citizens aiming to better their lives.
"They're not criminals — they're people who have fallen on hard times," Young said.
Young said he and his organization do not intend to pursue the requested charges against Chappell for the alleged burglary and theft.