Stolen tithing money

I was interested to read the article in Deseret News about the trio who vandalized and burglarized a meetinghouse in Duchesne, Utah.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/8656 ... house.html

I was surprised to read, "Church medallions and pins, along with about $500 of tithing money, were taken from offices, investigators said." How is this possible, since Church policy prohibits the storage of such funds in a meetinghouse?

Perhaps there is not a bank in that area that has an after-hours deposit box and, somehow, the ward leaders had permission to operate this way. Perhaps the article was not accurate. Or maybe, of course, the ward leaders clearly violated church policies and this is exactly why you never leave money unattended in the building at any time.

We have removed cash boxes from most of our FHCs, but I think one still keeps a little cash in a box to make change. Probably not enough to worry about.

Many years ago, while I was in college, the local LDS Institute had a "suggestion box" on the wall for student use. Students got in the habit of dropping tithing in that box (as it was locked). The local Student Branch leadership did not correct the practice and one night the box was knocked off the wall and all tithing envelopes ripped open. Cash was stolen and checks were left on the floor.

There is a reason for the church policies and this was a lesson the Branch Presidency had to learn the hard way. I was just a student at the time and not involved in the Branch leadership, but still remember the lesson...

I'm disappointed that the Deseret News reported this incident as they did. While nearly every church building does not have cash left unattended in the building as a matter of policy, I suspect that any opportunistic vandal will now go out of his way to ransack the offices looking for money now.