Grand theft alcohol?

The Police Chief of Wilson,Kansas,has been fired from his post effective January 25th after he was busted allegedly stealing beer last summer from a fire department refrigerator.The police and fire departments in this small hamlet share a building and the door adjoining the offices are unlocked most of the time.While there was no word on how much beer Chief Brian Hill took,or why it was in a municipal fire building in the first place,he was caught on camera and subsequently convicted of misdemeanor theft under $1000 and suspended without pay from his job on December 26,2007.Attempts to contact the former chief were unsuccessful.
Maybe I am wrong but if it was common knowledge that beer was kept in a CITY building,cold and ready to drink,how can it be "theft" if a fellow city employee scarfs one or two down?He may be guilty of drinking on the job,but theft is stretching it a little.We have cops out there who are way more crooked and committing serious crimes to bust this guys chops over a few cans of suds!