Department of Public Safety investigators are looking for more than $1,000 in small bills.

Police said two change machines in the Hub were broken into earlier this week. No signs of forced entry were evident.

Jim Theilen, vending route supervisor for the Memorial Union, reported the incident to DPS officials Monday. An estimated $1,270 is missing. Iowa State has a contract with the Union to operate vending services.

John Tinker, investigative officer for DPS, said Thursday that it appears the thief, or thieves, used a key to open the machines. There are about six keys in circulation.

Vending workers report to Bill Young, food service director for the Union. Young would not comment on the incident.

Three weeks ago, Theilen reported a similar theft from a change machine in the Iowa State Center’s Scheman Building.

It appears a key was used in that incident, also. About $358 was reported missing from the Scheman machine.

“There is a possibility that the incidents are connected,” Tinker said.

He said investigators are looking into the thefts, but no suspects have been identified.

Pat Hulsey, manager of Tavco Inc. — the vending service that supervised campus vending until July of last year when the university contracted with the Union — said thefts from vending and change machines are usually more frequent during breaks, finals weeks and during big university events.

She said the only time two of Tavco’s machines at the Hub were broken into was about five years ago. Then the thief, or thieves, literally ripped the machines off the floor, even though they were bolted down.

The two machines were found in poor shape, minus the money, west of Ames in a ditch during a spring thaw several weeks later.