*STOLEN STREET SIGNS*

We’ve all seen it: a stolen street sign hung in somebody’s dorm room or basement. It’s a standby for college students. Sign theft is distressingly common. But it’s still a crime. More importantly, it’s dangerous.

Theft of road name signs in Solon and surrounding communities is nothing new, especially those funny or unique. But in the last couple weeks, the STOP sign at the end of the Drury Road was stolen. The cost and labor to replace a traffic or street name sign can cost taxpayers hundreds of dollars each time.

Sign theft can compound into other problems. Steal an electric fence warning sign, and someone can get electrocuted. Steal a street sign, and emergency services workers can get lost, putting lives and property at risk. And if someone gets hurt because of the sign theft, the thief can be sued or even criminally prosecuted for the consequences.

Don’t steal, just ask! If you want a street name sign, the Town is happy to sell them to you at cost. Just reach out to the Selectmen or the Road Commissioner to discuss it.

Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A, §2107 - Tampering with signs states - A person commits a Class E crime if that person removes or tampers with a sign, light, flare, reflector or other signaling or safety device placed by the Department of Transportation, a county or municipal official or a contractor performing repairs or maintenance work on or adjoining a public way.