LAWRENCE, IND. (WRTV) — Indiana Conservation Officers are asking for help in finding the people who stole track chairs and war helmets from Fort Harrison State Park.
The break-ins happened between the evening of April 30 and the morning of May 1.
Someone broke into six DNR buildings.
"Forced entry occurred, and during those break-ins, we did have two of our access track chairs stolen along with two Vietnam-era war helmets," said Capt. Jet Quillen of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement.
Track chairs are motorized wheelchairs that can be taken on trails and around facilities. All Indiana state park properties and Inns offer them to guests with a mobility disability to use them at no cost.
The chairs are worth about $25,000 each. The park had a total of five before the break-ins. Quillen says the goal of the chairs is to expand accessibility across the state properties.
"They are a mobility devices that can get you different places, rough terrain, and get you off the paved paths, and onto the trails and things like that, so it's really a shame that that was taken from people that really want to experience that," said Quillen.
The state bought the chairs through a Lilly Endowment grant.
"To purchase 45 track chairs to be housed across the state at state parks. We had multiple here at Fort Harrison State Park," said Quillen.
Quillen says the goal right now is to relocate the chairs and look at ways to prevent future break-ins. There weren't cameras at the park, but the officers hope the public speaks up if they see anything.
"They're pretty distinguishable chairs and helmets, so if you see something that looks pretty, not out of the ordinary, but not the common type of chair, we want that information," said Quillen.
A private donor and the Indy Parks Alliance are offering a $5,500 award to whoever can provide information that leads to the arrest of those responsible and the recovery of the chairs.
