Pennsylvania Parking Officer Steals Money To Buy Birthday Cakes

If you ever wondered what your money goes towards when pay for meter parking, you may not have to worry much longer if you live in the state of Pennsylvania.

45-year-old Sekela Coles is the director of parking enforcement for a town in Pennsylvania. The town was located in Upper Darby, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. Well, she was the director of parking enforcement. That was until she was caught stealing from the parking meters that she and her department were in charge of.

Sekela would have her employees turn in all the coins that they collected from the meters. She would then have another coworker take those coins and convert them into cash. Coles would then keep that cash in her desk at work. A portion of the cash collected to be used as her own petty cash.

She would take that stolen petty cash and use it to cover the costs of food, birthday cakes, and even the office parties. She'd even use it for restaurant trips for her and her staff, when they planned outings for lunch. She was even busted for voiding parking tickets that family members would receiving.

After months of investigating Sekela, she was eventually charged with theft and receiving stolen property...among other things. In all, officials figured out that Coles stole almost $4,300. Of that $4,300, she returned $2,000 of it. As of now, court documents show that the charges agains Sekela Coles have been filed yesterday. Coles is awaiting her preliminary hearing and is currently out of her position and placed on administrative leave. We're assuming that will all change once she is convicted of her crimes in court. Let's just hope that the person who replaces her has a better sense of judgement and will do the right thing with the money collected from the towns parking meters.

We have more on this story in today's Other News!

Each state possesses unique features that distinguish it from others, and this extends to its state patrol vehicles. Over the past decade, the American Association of State Troopers has organized an annual competition to determine the best-looking patrol cruiser among the states.

Virtually all state police agencies participate by submitting a photo of their finest patrol vehicle in hopes of having it featured on the association's yearly calendar. The sales of this calendar contribute to the American Association of State Troopers Foundation, which offers educational scholarships to dependents of troopers who are association members.

According to the association's website, the contest initially started as a friendly rivalry between the state agencies, but it has evolved into an enjoyable and positive way for community members to support and engage with law enforcement.

In the previous year, Kentucky secured the cover spot on the 2023 calendar as the winner of the contest. However, this year, the competition is fierce, and Nevada seems to be a strong contender. As of yesterday, at around 4 p.m., Nevada had taken the lead with over 104,700 votes, though Florida was close behind, trailing by only about 60 votes.

The current top 5 states in the contest are Nevada, Florida, California, Indiana, and Kentucky. To boost their chances, the Nevada State Police are actively encouraging their supporters to cast their votes through their social media channels, where they have gained substantial attention and positive feedback.

Someone commented on Facebook, "At first I liked the navy-blue vehicles but those silver/grey ones are pretty awesome and kinda blend in very well." Another person prefers the beauty of the patrol cruiser from a distance. Most of us would agree unless you enjoy the view of flashing lights from your rearview mirror.

The contest attracts a significant number of votes daily, making it a highly engaging event. Anyone can participate by casting their vote until July 31, with Survey Monkey's rules allowing only one vote per device during the contest period. You can cast your vote here.

Take a look at some of the competition below.

California Highway Patrol showcases their mesmerizing Chevy Tahoe Patrol vehicle, with their CHP Helicopter in the sky. Their photo looks like it's straight out of an action movie with the dramatics of dust blowing in the air and a helicopter whirling in the sky. As of yesterday, they are in third place with over 95,000 votes.

"We’re in it to win it and take home the three-peat! Vote for KSP to be named the best looking cruiser in the nation," says their Instgram post. Kentucky was last year's winner. As of yesterday, they're in fifth place with over 65,000 votes.

Georgia State Patrol is pushing for more votes on their social media pages. "You can't tell us Indiana State Police, Florida Highway Patrol, Kentucky State Police, and California Highway Patrol all have better looking patrol cars than the blue and gray!" they wrote on Instagram. They're currently sitting at sixth place with more than 52,000 votes.

Michigan State Police's photo features a Chevy Tahoe and a Bell UH-1H (Huey) helicopter. While not in the lead, their troopers are making their mark with more then 20,000 votes. To be fair, their car is up against a pretty impressive lineup. Florida has an alligator in front of their patrol cruiser.

Arizona is giving it their all, but they've got quite a way to go with just a little over 2,000 votes. But their car looks great along their mountain backdrop. After seeing some of their Instagram comments, their state is definitely rooting for a win. Who know, maybe they'll make a comeback by the deadline.

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