Police Detail Probe of Missing North High Cash

Downers Grove police Tuesday released details of their investigation into the Jan. 4 disappearance of $2,100 from a safe in the North High School athletic office.

District 99 announced Monday it was mounting its own investigation into the matter, which took place during Christmas break, after police failed to determine what happened to the cash.

Police said they were alerted about the apparent theft at 5 p.m. Jan. 4 after a school employee discovered the money missing  when she went to the safe to obtain change for a girls basketball game.

The $2,100 in cash was in a "envelope box" that was placed in the safe at 3:45 p.m., Dec. 29, the employee told police. Some of the cash was placed in nine sealed envelopes with the amount written on each. The remainder was separated into two bundles—one with $500 in singles and the second with $600 in five, 10 and 20 dollar bills, according to the police report.

The employee who had placed the money in the safe told police she believes the safe and office were secured at that time. The employee also was in the office between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Jan. 4, at which time she left for an appointment. She told police she did not check a side door in the office before leaving.

The employee was one of five people known to have the safe combination and one of four who had a key to the office. Police conducted interviews of the employees Jan. 5 through 7.  

A second employee who had briefly stopped at the office during break reported opening the safe on Jan. 4 to make change for a student. The employee told police the cash box wasn't removed from the safe at that time. At the police department's request, the employee produced bank records. Nothing suspicious was noted, according to the police report. Cameras confirmed the employee's presence in the building.

Of the other three people who had access to the safe, only one had been in the school during break, according to police reports. That employee's presence also was confirmed by camera records.

District administrators announced Monday they are looking into how many individuals had access to the office key and safe combination. Administrators also will review the district's current internal controls, according to a press release issued by the district. 

“It is extremely rare that this has happened at District 99,” Controller Mark Staehlin said in the release. “In my 17 years here, we’ve only been missing cash two times--both times have occurred within the last five months. Even so, when these incidents occur, it causes us to reflect on how to make sure our practices are stronger in the future, and that’s what we’re working on now.”