2 teens charged in theft of London kindness meter

London police have charged two teenagers after one of five kindness meters was stolen Monday from a downtown park.

Lincoln McCardle, who came up with the idea of the donation metres that resemble parking metres, said he has mixed feelings about news.

"It's a happy day but the fact that people were arrested, it almost feels wrong in my stomach to say it's a happy day," he said.

The kindness meters were installed last week to collect donations for local community groups to help people living in poverty.

McCardle lobbied the city to install the meters across five parks as part of a neighbourhood initiative.  

Earlier this week a meter located at Ivey Park was stolen from its post. On Friday police charged two women, aged 15 and 16,  with theft under $5,000.

Additional security 

Upon installation, parking services officials asked McCardle if the meters required additional security. However, given the nature of the meters, he dismissed the request.

"I thought there was no way people were going to have any resentment or take their anger out on the meters but I guess I was mistaken," he said.

Now McCardle is looking into adding protective cuffs over the posts to make it harder to break into them.

Although it's unclear how much money was stolen the Salvation Army, which collects the donations, tallied about $230 from the remaining four meters in the first week.

McCardle says police haven't recovered the stolen meter, but he's hoping to get help from the city.

But if he has to, McCardle said he may pay out of pocket to replace the meter.