The statue of famous baseball player Jackie Robinson was taken from a park in Kansas, according to the police.
The bronze statue in a park in Wichita was cut at the ankles and taken away in a truck.
“Our community is very upset,” said the Wichita Police in a statement about the theft that occurred on Thursday night.
The police will give money to anyone who helps them find the statue.
Wichita’s police chief Joe Sullivan said at a news conference on Friday that he was upset that someone took the statue from a park that children and families often visit.
“Mr Sullivan said this should make us all upset. ”
The statue was in McAdams Park, which is the home of League 42, a youth baseball league named after Robinson’s jersey number.
The park is famous for honoring important African Americans. It is named after a previous black city official, and its community center was renamed in recent years after the city’s first elected black mayor.
Robinson was the first black player in Major League Baseball. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and made it possible for many African American players to follow in his footsteps.
“Even if they had their reasons, they were not just taking from the community, they were also taking from the hard work of League 42 members,” explained Brandon Johnson, a member of the Wichita city council.
“Most importantly, they’re taking from the children. ”
Authorities are willing to give $2,500 for a helpful tip that leads to an arrest, and an extra $5,000 for information on where the statue is located.
City officials said the stolen statue is worth over $75,000, but they also said that the overall loss is even greater.
The value is a lot bigger. This is Jackie Robinson. Troy Houtman, the person in charge of parks and recreation in Wichita, said he will stop there.