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

Street sign theft occurs when street signs are stolen to be used as decorations or sold as scrap metal.[1] Although the 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

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. For example, in 1997, three young adults in the United States were found guilty of manslaughter for stealing a stop sign which later resulted in a deadly collision. 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

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

Austria

  • 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]

Canada

Republic of Ireland

Germany

The Netherlands

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.[23]
  • 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.[24]

Spain

Sweden

Swedish moose warning sign
  • Sweden's distinctive warning sign for moose is noted for its tendency to be stolen, traditionally by German tourists.[26][27]
  • 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.[28]

United Kingdom

The residents of Shitterton, a small village in Dorset, England, collectively purchased this large stone sign to deter frequent theft.
  • The signs on Abbey Road in London, England were often stolen by Beatles fans until the city council mounted them on buildings.[29]
  • Street signs on Butt Hole Road in England were stolen. The street was eventually renamed Archers Way in 2009.[30]
  • The village of Shitterton in the United Kingdom saw its welcome sign stolen so often that in 2007 the local council stopped replacing it. The village's residents eventually contributed funds to buy a one-and-a-half-tonne stone slab with the town's name engraved on it as a permanent replacement.[31]

United States

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

References

  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. 1 2 3 "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. 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)
  12. ""Degrassi" in Toronto - Boston.com". archive.boston.com. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  13. Honey, Kim (April 7, 2001). "My day with the Degrassi cult". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  14. Stafford, Tori (September 25, 2019). "Rash of street sign thefts in University District". The Kingstonist. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  15. Mazur, Alexandra (November 10, 2021). "Kingston police investigate numerous street sign thefts in University District". Global News. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  16. Basa, Jennifer (September 26, 2019). "Close to 30 street signs in Kingston's university district go missing". Global News. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  17. O’Regan, Donal. "Mystery of disappearing signs in County Limerick village". www.limerickleader.ie.
  18. 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)
  19. Lucey, Anne. "Theft of Kerry road signs 'an industry'". The Irish Times.
  20. "Road signs to Michael Collins sites frequently stolen". February 3, 2016.
  21. "Road signs associated with Michael Collins are regularly stolen, especially in Cork". IrishCentral.com. February 5, 2016.
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  26. "Stulna älgskyltar är ett problem". July 6, 2002. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  27. Nyheter, SVT (August 13, 2007). "Älgsafari slår besöksrekord". SVT Nyheter. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  28. Visible in Google Street View at 57°55′54.83″N 13°13′8.38″E / 57.9318972°N 13.2189944°E as of June 2018.
  29. Pollard, Lawrence (August 7, 2009). "Revisiting Abbey Road 40 years on". BBC News. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  30. 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.
  31. Adams, Stephen (July 23, 2009). "Shitterton and a sign of the times". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
  32. "Denver's Mail-Order Corona Street Signs Selling Briskly". AP NEWS. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  33. "Record $105,400 Prize Money Listed for Grand Prix Sunday". The New York Times. September 27, 1967.
  34. Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway No. 69". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
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  39. Press, Associated (August 18, 2015). "Idaho replaces mile marker 420 with 419.9 in attempt to thwart stoners". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
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  41. "Interstate 40 - AARoads - North Carolina". AARoads. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
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  45. "Tourists Go "Batty" Over Town". Wilmington, NC Star-News. Associated Press. July 7, 1992. Retrieved March 16, 2012.
  46. Los Angeles Times, 1984
  47. "The House On Blue Jay Way That George Harrison Stayed In Los Angeles". FeelNumb.com. Archived from the original on February 27, 2012.
  48. "Sleeping Bear Dunes Voted 'Most Beautiful Place in America'". ABC News. August 19, 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
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