Trailer containing thousands of dollars in Christmas gifts stolen in Pittsfield Township
Company officials at Gretchen’s House Inc. child care centers say the Grinch came early this year.
A trailer containing thousands of dollars in Christmas gifts was stolen over the weekend from the parking lot of the company’s Pittsfield Township headquarters, said Lisa Lemble, the operations manager.
The gifts are reserved for an annual Christmas party when the company's 150 employees can use free gift certificates they are awarded to buy items for family members, she said.
A trailer containing holiday gifts was stolen in Pittsfield Township.
File photo
The dual-axle trailer was taken between 6 p.m. Friday and 7 a.m. today from the parking lot in the 4500 block of Concourse Drive, Lemble said.
“I’m really disappointed for our staff,” she said. “I’m angry someone would do this. We have no idea what we’re going to do at this point.”
Pittsfield Township police are investigating. The trailer contained toys, linens, electronics and household goods, Lemble said. The items were valued at $2,500 to $3,000, and the trailer was valued at $3,900, the police report said.
Pittsfield Public Safety Director Matt Harshberger said it appears the trailer’s lock was cut off. It was described as a white 2001 Continental 16-foot by eight-foot trailer with the Michigan license plate number of A194759.
Lemble shops clearance sales throughout the year and keeps the items in boxes inside the trailer. The trailer has been in the parking lot for 10 years without any problems, she said.
The company has seven childcare centers in Ann Arbor and Pittsfield Township, and many employees depend on the annual event, Lemble said. Some bring their children to pick out items, she said.
"They're always very excited about it," Lemble said.
Harshberger said police don't have any leads in the theft at this point.
Anyone with information can call the police department's tip line at (734) 944-1238.
Lee Higgins covers crime and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at (734) 623-2527 and e-mail at leehiggins@annarbor.com.
Comments
localvocal
Tue, Aug 24, 2010 : 8:27 p.m.
You have got to be kidding me. I sure hope AA.com never writes a story about a crime committed against me so you people can excoriate me for choosing to reward employees, and for not taking up valuable child care space to store items. Honestly.
Andrea
Tue, Aug 24, 2010 : 3:12 p.m.
@Dot, Gretchen's House actually does compensate their employees with above-average wages and benefits and this is a nice reward for them, too.
nfrench
Tue, Aug 24, 2010 : 1:51 p.m.
Stephanie is correct. What is wrong with an employer facilitating fun for their employees? It is fun for the kids, too, who are learning a good lesson in sharing!
Stephanie
Tue, Aug 24, 2010 : 10:43 a.m.
@bunny Yes they are moral boosters especially since you have to be nominated throughout the year for things you did to get them, but I would also like to reiterate once again that GH works like any other business with raises and benefits. These parties are not a substitute for anything. Merely a perk.
bunnyabbot
Tue, Aug 24, 2010 : 10:38 a.m.
one way to look at it: if you raise thier wage than they have to pay taxes on it, but these "gifts" are tax free. I would also think that "funny money" parties are an employee moral booster, which can be a good thing.
Stephanie
Tue, Aug 24, 2010 : 9:11 a.m.
@Dot and Halima. How do you know GH employee's don't get a bonus as well? How do you know they aren't also compensated in other ways? YOU DON'T. You are commenting on something you have absolutely no knowledge of. And quite frankly since you don't work there it isn't any of your business and I'm not going to enlighten you. Obviously if the employees didn't like their benefits and they way they were treated they would leave or Gretchen wouldn't be running a very successful business with over 7 centers. Gretchen's House is about kids. Not necessarily about people out to make a buck.....That's the life of a teacher. If we wanted careers with big expense accounts and lofty bonuses we wouldn't do what we do. We do what we do because we enjoy teaching. Plain and simple.
Jay Allen
Tue, Aug 24, 2010 : 8:53 a.m.
@d_a2: "1. Keep letting people steal Christmas gifts and catalytic converters 2. while you guys are busy getting and serving search warrants from a traffic stop to someones house for some marijuana." 1. Can you please show us any PROOF that PTPD has "allowed" thieves to steal any Christmas gifts? And for the catalytic convertor deal, I suggest you get out more. It has become an epidemic in other parts of the country. I guess PTPD is to blame for that too? 2. Here is a d*mned if you do and d*mned if you don't. Folks like you complain WHEN they are doing their job and if they let the person go with hippie lettuce, you'd be back here complaining about that too. I will add that your sentence is very funny when it is read. The PTPD did their job and somehow you wish to translate that into by doing their job, they "allowed" another crime to occur. @d_a2: "Not my point buddy. Instead of wasting the at the very minimum several hours it took to serve the warrant, search the house process everything with more than likely one officer they could be patrolling the more and more problems are that are popping up in their township." Your second post does nothing but further substantiate the first. And to boot, the crime with the trailer just occurred this past weekend. You are trying to substantiate your post with crimes that occurred weeks ago. Now if you are argued that crimes that did JUST occur against this, you may a very minimal argument. But as it stands, nothing you say holds any water. In your other posts, it was FOUR pounds of dope that was confiscated. FOUR POUNDS. Sorry, I don't smoke hippie lettuce but that sounds like a lot to me on ONE TRAFFIC stop and you are ridiculing the Police? Edward Vielmetti in your catalytic convertor tirade addressed you there too.
krc
Tue, Aug 24, 2010 : 7:29 a.m.
I hope they find the trailer. If they do, it's time to consider keeping it in a secured storage locker. The times, they are a changin', folks.
Elaine F. Owsley
Tue, Aug 24, 2010 : 7:06 a.m.
Right near by is one of those big storage places. Might have been a better idea to rent one of those for this kind of thing.
d_a2
Mon, Aug 23, 2010 : 8:21 p.m.
Not my point buddy. Instead of wasting the at the very minimum several hours it took to serve the warrant, search the house process everything with more than likely one officer they could be patrolling the more and more problems are that are popping up in their township.
Dot
Mon, Aug 23, 2010 : 8:17 p.m.
Stephanie - "@Dot. Quite honestly if you have never been to one of these "parties" you don't need to be commenting on them" With this as the criteria for commentary, then I do have a right to comment. "Gretchen, and their staff spend ALOT of time and yes their own money" "It is a great reward system for very deserving teachers" I agree 1000% with rewarding teachers - with wages and benefits. Not everyone wants to feel as if they are awarded a choice of pre-selected gifts for good work habits. Enough said. I am in agreement with Halima "it seems more useful to give each person the money and let them be the ones to have the responsibility of shopping clearance sales, and then being responsible for the care of the items they chose." Hopefully all of the stolen property will be recovered.
Halima
Mon, Aug 23, 2010 : 7:42 p.m.
It's a shame that a thief stole anything from anyone. The thieves should be caught and punished. That said, while I was reading the article, I had the same thought as Dot - it's a lot of fun to have these kind of parties, but if wages are low enough that "many employees depend on the annual event", it seems more useful to give each person the money and let them be the ones to have the responsibility of shopping clearance sales, and then being responsible for the care of the items they chose. This is, economically speaking, the theory that rational individuals will maximize their own utility. The normal assumption is that Gretchen's House employees are rational individuals. I find interesting that these sorts of paternalistic schemes by employers seem to take place only in situations where employees make low wages. I don't see any local engineering firms planning an event to give non-cash bonuses to the engineers!
Stephanie
Mon, Aug 23, 2010 : 6:47 p.m.
I also might add that the story is quite misleading. It is not really a "Christmas" party at all. They are called Funny Money parties. There used to be two a year but now only one a year near the holidays....
Stephanie
Mon, Aug 23, 2010 : 6:39 p.m.
@Dot. Quite honestly if you have never been to one of these "parties" you don't need to be commenting on them. They are amazing. Not only for staff but for their children. Lisa, Gretchen, and their staff spend ALOT of time and yes their own money to go into this stuff and it is good stuff. For the teachers, it is free and it's like going to the store and getting to pick out whatever you want. I got a tabletop dishwasher a few years ago that I still use today. Not to mention I typically was able to shop for presents for others. I miss those parties very much. I also might add they are held TWICE a year. Not just at Christmas. It is a great reward system for very deserving teachers!
d_a2
Mon, Aug 23, 2010 : 6:13 p.m.
way to go pittsfield PD. Keep letting people steal Christmas gifts and catalytic converters while you guys are busy getting and serving search warrants from a traffic stop to someones house for some marijuana.
Reneey
Mon, Aug 23, 2010 : 5:14 p.m.
Maybe it was an inside job.
Dot
Mon, Aug 23, 2010 : 5:09 p.m.
Maybe it's time to stop spending the time, and thousands of dollars, shopping clearance sales all year for "toys, linens, electronics and household goods" and just give each employee a "holiday bonus" to choose their own gifts. Take into consideration that those employees who don't celebrate "Christmas" may choose to pay a bill with the bonus. jus'sayin'
xmo
Mon, Aug 23, 2010 : 3:58 p.m.
Maybe the people who stole the trailer do not celebrate Christmas? or had a greater need than the Gretchens House kids? These are tuff times.
OldRUSHfan
Mon, Aug 23, 2010 : 3:23 p.m.
Better find a new place to store the gifts....was there an alarm on the trailer?
AfterDark
Mon, Aug 23, 2010 : 3:18 p.m.
Most of the time the thieves probably don't know. They just know an equipment trailer when they see one. Those kinds of trailers are often also used for rock band and audio equipment, landscaping and construction equipment, ATVs and snowmobiles, all kinds of things thieves would consider a good haul.
cibachrome
Mon, Aug 23, 2010 : 3:08 p.m.
They probably could care less for what's IN the trailer. They just wanted the trailer for their OTHER thieving jobs (lawn mowers, 4 wheelers, ATVs, lawn tractors, computers, etc. Or, they need it for their new Lawn Care, Leaf Collection, Snow Removal, Paver Installation, Sprinkler Winterizing and Hedge Trimming business.
boom
Mon, Aug 23, 2010 : 2:52 p.m.
That really sucks, but I wonder how the thief knew what was in the trailer?