The Belize Family Life Association tackles issues plaguing our society, particularly youth reproductive health issues. But tonight that effort has been weakened after burglars broke into the NGO's main office on Mercy Lane last night and made off with cash and a brand new laptop computer that they just got yesterday in a donation from the Global Fund. Executive Director Joan Burke says the thieves specifically targeted the cash.
Joan Burke, Executive Director - BFLA
"They went with two things. The cash pan which had about $2,000 along with some checks, we had just gotten money from one of our community based distributors. That and one of three of the new laptop computers that we received just yesterday morning through the Global Fund Project and I want to think it is by accident that they went with that computer because that was the only one that we programmed yesterday and that was in the draw along with the cash pan. The other computer was still in its case, right in the chair, right next to the desk so it led us to believe that whoever did it came just for the cash pan. What they did is they cut the bar of the window, as I said, and there is another little window right to the accounts department. So they actually tore out the sieve of that window and broke the glass and got in.
Obviously it was a very small person, we figure it must be a young very small person who did it. Whether that was the person who cut the bar we don't know because as you can see it was almost like professionally done, in terms of the cutting of the bar, but because of the space had to be somebody very small and it had to be somebody whose family with our office. The way it happened it had to be somebody familiar with the office and who knew exactly where to go. There was not another office in this building that was touched. They went directly to the Accounts Department.
What irks me more is to know that you have people out there who purchase these things. If these people who come into offices, into schools, don't have buyers for these equipments, they will not steal them. And the thing of it is that it's the ordinary man on the street that buys a computer, it is somebody who can make use of the computer. You might very well have people who you might not expect to buy these kinds of stolen goods to buy them.
In terms of the impact, the impact on us being able to implement the program, it will set us back because these computers are to be used for public education."
Burke appeals to member of the public not to purchase the laptop and to report anyone selling it to the police.
