On Dec. 26, 2023, the City of Moose Jaw was notified that 15 street identification signs had been stolen in an apparently random act and dumped in the Elks Athletic Field at 1600 Caribou Street West.
The tip came from a concerned resident who submitted a picture to the city through a Request for Service on the City of Moose Jaw app.
The picture submitted to the city revealed that the green and white signs were left abandoned in a single location, and all came from the northwest area of the city, including 13th Avenue Northwest, Montgomery Street, and Brown Street, among others.
Following the notification, city crews arrived at the scene to discover only two of the signs were still there. The 13 remaining signs were missing and presumed to have been stolen.
As of Jan. 8, none of the missing signs have been returned and are still reported stolen.
“Unfortunately, the (City of Moose Jaw) deals with stolen signs (street ID signs, detour signs, barricades, etc.) on a somewhat regular basis, though not typically this many signs at one time,” wrote Craig Hemingway, the city’s communications manager.
No statistical information regarding the number of signs stolen in any given period of time has been provided, but according to the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS), the act is not a common occurrence that police respond to.
The cost to replace each of the stolen signs is around $100 per sign. This means the City of Moose Jaw is now responsible for paying roughly $1,300 to replace the signs stolen in this single act. The cost is even higher in practice, as the city must account for the additional time and labour required by work crews to replace the signs.
The stolen street signs are currently slated for replacement, however no specific time or date has been given. In the meantime, all the City of Moose Jaw can do is continue to communicate with police in the attempt to locate and return the stolen property.
Even though removing street or construction signs may seem like a harmless prank, the deed is a criminal act. Anyone caught stealing signs or other city property could face criminal charges, including theft and mischief.
In the example of theft under $5,000, an offender could face a fine ranging from several hundred to several thousand dollars and probation. If convicted by way of indictment, up to two years of imprisonment is possible.
The act of vandalizing traffic signs is dangerous to the public.
“Traffic signs such as yield or stop signs are in place for the safety of motorists and to advise them of the approaching need to stop or yield at an intersection,” said Jay-D Haughton on behalf of the MJPS. “Without these signs in place, the potential for collisions will increase and with that the potential for injuries. The Moose Jaw Police Service advises the public to refrain from removing road or street signs.”
If a resident were to find one or more of the missing signs, the best approach is to contact the Public Works department at 306-694-4448 to arrange a drop off. The MJPS advises that an offender could face possible consequences if the stolen property is returned to police, but this could be far less severe than if police discover the stolen signs without an effort to return them.
If you have any information about this act of theft and vandalism, the City of Moose Jaw is asking you to contact the Moose Jaw Police Service at 306-694-7600. Alternatively, CRIME STOPPERS can be contacted anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or at SaskCrimeStoppers.com.
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