I received the following e-mail a few minutes ago from MSOE Public Safety. I don’t know if it’s simply my sleepy state of mind, but I found the way it was written to be absolutely hilarious.

Two individuals, a 25 year old male and a 26 year old male were recently involved in a theft at the Kern Center whereby one of the suspects climbed up onto the overhang near the main entrance of Kern Center and forcibly removed the 3′ tall letter “T” from the KERN CENTER sign.

Both individuals, who prior to the theft stated they had been drinking at several bars on N. Water Street, were apprehended 3 blocks away by MSOE Public Safety officers as a result of the assistance of an alert Facilities Department employee (Housekeeping Supervisor Lee Oakley).

Mr. Oakley had observed one of the individuals climbing up onto the overhang and quickly alerted the Public Safety Department. While the Public Safety Officers were in route, Mr. Oakley observed this same individual climb down with the letter “T” in his hand. Once the Public Safety Officers arrived on the scene, Mr. Oakley accompanied the officers and pointed out the two suspects a few blocks away. The two suspects who were still in possession of the letter “T” were detained and ultimately turned over to Milwaukee Police Officers.

Both individuals originally stated to the police officers that they were just walking by when they found the letter “T” on the ground, however, Mr. Oakley’s eye witness account, as well as surveillance video from the entrance to the Kern Center clearly showed their involvement in the crime. Faced with this overwhelming evidence, the 26 year old admitted his involvement and was arrested and charged with vandalism.

Due to the keen observation skills of Mr. Lee Oakley, as well as the quick action of the responding Public Safety Officers this theft was cleared with the arrest of the individual involved. MSOE has requested through the court that the individual responsible for this damage make full restitution to MSOE as part of the final disposition of the case.

This case clearly illustrates how the collective efforts of the campus community, working cooperatively with the Public Safety Department can help make the campus safer for everyone.

Please report any suspicious individuals or suspicious activity immediately to the Public Safety Department emergency line, 277-7159.

A fellow student, Karsten, noted quite astutely that this is propaganda.