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If you find a city street sign from Santa under your Christmas tree, you might want to give it back.
The Missoula Traffic Services Department is witnessing an unprecedented spate of street sign theft, epitomized by the 79 signs that had to recently be replaced in the University Neighborhood.
"I just think it's kind of becoming a trendy thing," says Traffic Services Coordinator Wayne Gravatt, who attributes the phenomenon largely to fraternity pranks and bored teens. "You know, 'Let's get drunk as hell, we'll get all these signs.'"
Gravatt says thieves generally target catchy names like Easy Street and Mary Jane Boulevard. Since Mary Jane Boulevard was christened behind Reserve Street about five years ago, traffic services has had to replace signs there three different times.
"Oh Christ, Mary Jane has been a nightmare," Gravatt says.
To dissuade pranksters and collectors, the city is making signs less attractive and tougher to get. For instance, Mary Jane Boulevard is now MJ BLVD and Missoula Avenue is MSLA AVE. Gravatt's team is also progressively erecting taller poles that, in theory, make signs more difficult to reach.
"We're still losing some of them," he says.
And while it's tough not to chuckle a bit, the thefts are hitting the city solidly in the checkbook. Recently replaced University Neighborhood signs cost the city $6,488.65. During a time of ever-lowering bottom lines, that's hard for Gravatt to swallow.
"It's a monstrous cost for me," he says.
The problem reaches beyond just money. Missing street signs could prompt emergency responders to lose their bearings while racing to a crisis.
"It's the difference between life and death," Gravatt says. "So, that's the part of it that's really, really scary."
Street sign theft is a misdemeanor punishable by a $1,500 fine. Gravatt says he's not aiming to punish culprits. He just wants his signs.
"We're not looking to arrest anybody," he says. "It just would be nice if they could give them back.
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"Gravatt says thieves generally target catchy names like Easy Street and Mary Jane Boulevard. Since Mary Jane Boulevard was christened behind Reserve Street about five years ago, traffic services has had to replace signs there three different times."
Leaving a sum total of zero people surprised.
Here from the missoulian article is a real important comment.......
if you don't think cops steal lie and commit crimes than "HERE IS YOUR SIGN"
oh did you call 911 to report the theft.....why should we if wayne gravatt won't
In the winter, Gravatt said crews do regular checks on signs. They know they'll encounter some signs that will be missing, such as ones on University Avenue. This year, though, the number of empty blocks far exceeded the norm. In one neighborhood alone, 79 signs were missing.
"Lo and behold ... we have block after block after block where we have no street signs at all," he said.
In the case of Mary Jane Boulevard, Gravatt said police caught the thieves. He got a call to retrieve the signs from the evidence room, but had no luck there either. The stolen signs had been stolen again.
"Someone took them out of the evidence room, if you could imagine that," he said.
Who had access?
"I don't know what to tell you on that," he said. "That was disturbing."
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