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Street sign theft

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A sticker on the back of this Illinois street sign is intended to deter theft.

Street signs can be stolen for use as decorations or to be sold as scrap metal.[1] Although theft often seems arbitrary, signs with unusual or amusing names tend to be stolen more frequently. Sometimes considered to be a prank by the perpetrators, the theft is often costly and inconvenient (and can possibly be dangerous) for the municipality or agency that owns the sign. In the United States, each street sign generally costs between $100 and $500 to replace.[2][3]

In law

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The theft of traffic signage is typically treated like any other theft with respect to prosecution and sentencing. However, people who steal street signs may be found criminally liable for any injury or death resulting from the removal of a sign. In 1997, after a collision which killed three people, three young adults in the United States who stole a stop sign from the intersection where the crash occurred were found guilty of manslaughter. It was the first time street sign theft had led to a manslaughter charge in the country.[4][5] Thomas Miller, and his friends, Chris Cole and Nissa Baillie were sentenced to between 27 and 46 years in prison, but would go free after only five years after a judge ordered a retrial because the prosecutor had overemphasized certain evidence in her closing arguments. The prosecution declined to bring the case a second time.[6][7]

Prevention

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Some jurisdictions place stickers on street signs warning of the legal punishment for their theft. Some cities (e.g. Toronto) use specially designed bolts to attach signs and prevent removal.

Penny Lane in Liverpool, where the sign has been painted onto the wall

With some of the more popular street names such as Liverpool's famous "Penny Lane", authorities gave up the practice of constantly replacing signs and simply resorted to painting the name of the street on the walls. Other jurisdictions offer replica street signs for sale as a legitimate alternative to theft. For route markers or mile markers that contain numbers with suggestive meanings, such as 69, 420, or 666, the number may be changed to avoid sign theft.[8]

Examples

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Austria

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  • After frequent thefts of its welcome sign at the town boundary, the Austrian village of Fucking installed theft-resistant signs in 2005.[9] The town changed its name to Fugging in 2020.[10]

France

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  • Due to its reliance on right of way laws and traffic lights, the capital city, Paris originally had only a single octagonal stop sign in the entire city, marking an otherwise unremarkable driveway. The sign is believed to have been repeatedly stolen as a souvenir until officials stopped replacing it.[11][12]

Canada

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Republic of Ireland

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Germany

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The Netherlands

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Signs prohibiting public consumption of cannabis in Amsterdam were frequent targets of theft.
  • All the signs of the Dutch village Maaskantje were stolen since the New Kids comedy sketch show on Comedy Central (which is situated in the village) became popular (in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany). The municipality of Maaskantje decided not to replace the stolen signs.[25]
  • In Amsterdam, signs prohibiting the consumption of cannabis were a frequent target of theft, prompting the city to offer replicas of the sign for sale.[26]

Spain

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Sweden

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Swedish moose warning sign
  • Sweden's distinctive warning sign for moose is noted for its tendency to be stolen, traditionally by German tourists.[28][29]
  • The sign "Grovare 6", pointing to the small village Grovare in Sweden, 6 km from the sign, was often stolen. "Grovare" means "rougher" in Swedish with slightly wrong grammar, and the number 6 is spelt "sex". The new sign says "Grovare 5", even though it is still 6 km.[30]

United Kingdom

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The residents of Shitterton, a small village in Dorset, England, collectively purchased this large stone sign to deter frequent theft.

United States

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A milepost 420 on U.S. Route 12 in Washington that replaced a mile marker that was prone to theft
A street sign in Montgomery County, Maryland that has had its vowels removed to deter theft, rendering "Morningwood" as "M rn ngw d"

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Authorities battling metal thieves who leave damage in their wake". Observer-Dispatch. March 6, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  2. ^ Church, Zach (July 29, 2007). "The cost of Vandalism: Time, frustration and cash". Eagle-Tribune. Archived from the original on July 29, 2012.
  3. ^ Moeur, Richard C. "Manual of Traffic Signs".
  4. ^ "Defendants get 15-year Prison Sentences for stop-sign killings". CNN. June 20, 1997. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
  5. ^ "Stop-sign group challenges sentence". St. Petersburg Times. March 24, 2001.
  6. ^ "Florida Defendants Get Retrial on Manslaughter Convictions Resulting from Deaths at Intersection Where Stop Sign Downed; Dissenting Judge Argues for Acquittal". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.
  7. ^ Karp, David (May 22, 2001). "Suddenly, stop sign case is over". St. Petersburg Times. Archived from the original on September 14, 2001.
  8. ^ a b c "Thefts of '666' road sign bedeviling N.J. officials". NBC News. Associated Press. September 29, 2008. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  9. ^ "What's the F-ing joke?". Theage.com.au. September 3, 2005. Retrieved August 24, 2009.
  10. ^ Dallison, Paul (November 26, 2020). "Austrian village of Fucking to be renamed Fugging". Politico Europe. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  11. ^ "Paris: why is there no stop sign in the city anymore?" Sortir A Paris, 29 August 2022.
  12. ^ Jones, Meghan. "Here’s Why There Isn’t a Single Stop Sign in Paris", Reader's Digest, 10 November 2022.
  13. ^ Zahir, Fazile (February 4, 2008). "Kebabble: Turkey's costly signs of the times". Asia Times Online. Fethiye, Turkey. Archived from the original on May 14, 2008. Retrieved November 7, 2015.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  14. ^ ""Degrassi" in Toronto - Boston.com". archive.boston.com. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  15. ^ Honey, Kim (April 7, 2001). "My day with the Degrassi cult". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  16. ^ Stafford, Tori (September 25, 2019). "Rash of street sign thefts in University District". The Kingstonist. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  17. ^ Mazur, Alexandra (November 10, 2021). "Kingston police investigate numerous street sign thefts in University District". Global News. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  18. ^ Basa, Jennifer (September 26, 2019). "Close to 30 street signs in Kingston's university district go missing". Global News. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  19. ^ O’Regan, Donal. "Mystery of disappearing signs in County Limerick village". www.limerickleader.ie.
  20. ^ Reporter, Catherine Sanz, Ireland. "Road signs that are most prized by thieves revealed" – via www.thetimes.co.uk.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ Lucey, Anne. "Theft of Kerry road signs 'an industry'". The Irish Times.
  22. ^ "Road signs to Michael Collins sites frequently stolen". February 3, 2016.
  23. ^ "Road signs associated with Michael Collins are regularly stolen, especially in Cork". IrishCentral.com. February 5, 2016.
  24. ^ a b Conradt, Stacy (February 18, 2016). "10 Most Commonly Stolen Street Signs". Mental Floss. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  25. ^ "Alle borden Maaskantje gestolen". Hart van Nederland (in Dutch). December 29, 2009. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  26. ^ "Amsterdam deals 'no dope smoking' signs". abc.net.au. Reuters. February 7, 2006. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  27. ^ "Las placas de la 'calle AC/DC' se pondrán a la venta a partir del próximo lunes". El Mundo (in Spanish). April 5, 2000.
  28. ^ "Stulna älgskyltar är ett problem". July 6, 2002. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  29. ^ Nyheter, SVT (August 13, 2007). "Älgsafari slår besöksrekord". SVT Nyheter. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  30. ^ Visible in Google Street View at 57°55′54.83″N 13°13′8.38″E / 57.9318972°N 13.2189944°E / 57.9318972; 13.2189944 as of June 2018.
  31. ^ Pollard, Lawrence (August 7, 2009). "Revisiting Abbey Road 40 years on". BBC News. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  32. ^ Kessen, David (May 27, 2009). "Residents club together to finally change embarrassing street name". The Star. Yorkshire Post Newspapers. Archived from the original on July 21, 2009. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
  33. ^ Adams, Stephen (July 23, 2009). "Shitterton and a sign of the times". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
  34. ^ Gladwin, Anna (May 29, 2021). "Dumb Woman's Lane near Rye and what people who live there think about its name". Sussex Live. Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  35. ^ "Lost village gets new road sign". BBC News. October 6, 2004. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  36. ^ "Denver's Mail-Order Corona Street Signs Selling Briskly". AP NEWS. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  37. ^ "Record $105,400 Prize Money Listed for Grand Prix Sunday". The New York Times. September 27, 1967.
  38. ^ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway No. 69". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  39. ^ "Racy Route 69 Gets New Number". Salt Lake Tribune. April 15, 1994.
  40. ^ Staff. "Minutes of the Regular Monthly Meeting: January 24 and 25, 2007, Salem" (PDF). Oregon Transportation Commission. p. 4.
  41. ^ "Renaming US 666 Prompts a Run on 'Satanic' Souvenirs". The New York Times. July 20, 2003. Archived from the original on March 27, 2008. Retrieved November 17, 2007.
  42. ^ "State alters 420 MM sign to thwart thieves". Denver, CO: KUSA. January 10, 2014. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  43. ^ "Idaho replaces mile marker 420 with 419.9 in attempt to thwart stoners". The Guardian. Associated Press. August 18, 2015. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  44. ^ "Interstate 75 North - Columbia, Suwannee, Hamilton Counties - AARoads - Florida". AARoads. September 14, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  45. ^ "Interstate 40 - AARoads - North Carolina". AARoads. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  46. ^ Williams, Justin (March 9, 2010). "Kenosha's Richard Bong Recreation Area deals with stolen park signs". WITI-TV Fox 6 News. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011.
  47. ^ "Route 66 information page". Route66usa.com. Retrieved August 24, 2009.
  48. ^ Leigh, Patricia (July 9, 2000). "Welcome to Bolinas: Please keep moving on". The New York Times. Retrieved August 24, 2009.
  49. ^ "Tourists Go "Batty" Over Town". Wilmington, NC Star-News. Associated Press. July 7, 1992. Retrieved March 16, 2012.
  50. ^ Los Angeles Times, 1984
  51. ^ "The House On Blue Jay Way That George Harrison Stayed In Los Angeles". FeelNumb.com. Archived from the original on February 27, 2012.
  52. ^ "Sleeping Bear Dunes Voted 'Most Beautiful Place in America'". ABC News. August 19, 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  53. ^ "Michigan dropping 'M' from M-22 signs to deter thieves". Live.com. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  54. ^ "Harry Baals dropped despite massive poll swell". JOE.ie. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  55. ^ "Embden residents again to consider renaming Katie Crotch Road". newscentermaine.com. March 5, 2016. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  56. ^ "New Bone Thugs-N-Harmony sign missing from Cleveland street". wkyc.com. August 13, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  57. ^ Lewis, Kevin (December 20, 2019). "What do Blunt Road, Morningwood Drive and Stoner Drive have in common? Street sign theft". WJLA.com. WJLA-TV. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  58. ^ "Police: Please stop stealing stop signs in Washington Township before someone gets killed". mcall.com. August 26, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
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