Police are investigating a robbery of the local Boy Scouts office in Fagaalu, where the culprit, or culprits made off with more than $600 in checks and other belongings of the non-profit organization.

Rep. Larry Sanitoa, chairman of the American Samoa Boy Scouts District Council, calls the burglary very disappointing and a very sad situation for the organization that serves more than 2,000 students in the territory.

“…it is very disappointing to hear of such news as our small little office is where we store our Boy Scouts uniforms and many of our training materials,” said Sanitoa yesterday, adding that he was contacted Wednesday morning about the break in.

Sanitoa said the money taken from the small safe was for  uniforms and now the organization will have to wait until new money is collected for this purpose.

“This theft is very a sad situation and it’s affecting our programs for our students,” Sanitoa told Samoa News.

Fiamatai Faitu, the District Director for the local Boy Scouts, told Samoa News yesterday that $638 worth of checks were inside a small safe that was stolen from the office.

He said owners of the checks have been contacted to cancel their checks with their banks before they are cashed by the wrong person or persons.

He believes the culprit or culprits entered from the back of the office, by breaking a window that leads into the bathroom. The break-in was discovered Wednesday morning when workers arrived at the office.

“This is really affecting our boys especially when it comes to uniforms and this is a non profit organization,” he said, adding that also taken were other Boy Scouts belongings and the case is now with police.

Investigators from DPS were at the scene Wednesday morning and the probe continues into the case.

If you want to help our local Boy Scouts and their activities, which are helpful to many youth of American Samoa, contact them at 633-7611 or 633-7609 or stop by their office next to the Fagaalu Park.