Salvation Army Thief is Still on the Loose

A thief is still on the run after stealing a Salvation Army red kettle in Gulfport earlier this week. Police are reviewing surveillance video where a man can be seen dropping a dollar bill in the kettle then take off with it.

Thursday was James Clark’s first day as a bell ringer for the Salvation Army. His post is at the Gulfport Winn-Dixie, where the thief took off with a kettle just two days ago. Clark says, "If you’re really that desperate to steal from the homeless and from kids, what kind of heart, I mean, you can’t really have a heart."

The crime didn’t shake Clark’s enthusiasm or holiday spirit. Clark also says, "I’m not going to let nothing stop me. Me, today? I had people come through here today like, ‘I hope nobody messed with you,’ because if anybody tried to rob me, I’m going to take this sign, chase ‘em, and knock them over the head with it.”

One would think this holiday theft would deter people from ringing the bell, but in actuality, the Salvation Army had to turn bell ringers away Thursday morning. Major Gary Sturdivant, Area Commander for the Salvation Army, says, "We had so many to come and ring, but I have said to them, ‘Your safety is more important than any money that we can raise.’"

Salvation Army leaders say the crime was a tough break, but they believe it will all work out for the best in the long run. Sturdivant also says, "That’s life, you know, you have good and you have bad and so we just hope that through this, good’s going to come out of this bad thing that’s happened."

As for Clark, he’s clinging tight to values passed down in his family for generations. He closes, "I like helping people. My grandmother taught me to be like that."