It’s an act of desperation with not much chance of a payoff.

One of the city’s kindness meters was stolen from a downtown London park less than two weeks after it was installed.

But the city’s parking boss says the coins inside will be nearly impossible to get without the key, citing a handful of failed attempts to break into the metal meters over the years in London.

Lincoln McCardle, who lobbied the city to install the kindness meters, spent part of Tuesday scouring the banks along the Thames River hoping to find the discarded meter.

“I wanted to be mad, but I felt sick in the pit of my stomach, just so disappointed,” McCardle said while standing beside the metal post at Ivey Park that previously held the bright blue meter.

The city outfitted five parks with the change collectors — created using refurbished parking meters — earlier this month.

The Salvation Army is responsible for collecting the money from the meters and distributing it to local charities. Staff had planned to do the first pickup this week, said Shannon Wise, a spokesperson for the agency’s Ontario Great Lakes Division.

“This is obviously an act of desperation,” Wise said of the theft. “The Salvation Army is going to be very proactive in monitoring the kindness meters and making those weekly pickups.”

It’s unknown how the meter was removed from its post, though it appears a tool was used to cut it off.

Annette Drost, the city’s manager of municipal parking, said meters have been stolen before, but the thieves often ditch the metal devices after discovering they’re nearly impenetrable, even when power tools are used.

“Sometimes they’ll just discard them by the river or the railroad tracks,” Drost said.

“Usually they don’t want to hang on to them for too long because they’re quite noticeable,” Drost added.

Drost said she’s working to get another meter to replace the missing one.

The theft, believed to have taken place between Monday and Tuesday morning, hasn’t been reported to police.

“Those things are so heavy that I could barely lift them when they’re empty,” McCardle said, estimating the change-filled meter would weigh almost 50 kilograms.

The community booster got the idea for kindness meters during a trip to Ottawa for Canada Day two years ago. After failing to convince the city and business owners to install the devices, he pitched the idea through Ward 13 Decides, an initiative allowing citizens to propose and vote on how municipal money is spent in their neighbourhood.

The meters are also set up in Victoria, West Lions, Piccadilly and Mitchell A. Baran parks.

dcarruthers@postmedia.com

twitter.com/DaleatLFPress

REALLY #LDNONT?!! This is why we cannot have nice things.



????? pic.twitter.com/S5svvktPiR — Lincoln McCardle (@Canucklehead_ca) June 20, 2017

Social media reaction

“Some people are just so cruel. That money was going to a good thing.”

Pat Young

“A fitting metaphor for today’s society.”

Ryan Thomas

“Sadly I expected this to happen when I saw this story.”

Nikki Heat

“Humanity has totally lost its way.”

Barbara Villani