Some Campaign Signs Stolen or Vandalized in Washington County
By: Liz Hogan
Updated: November 2, 2012
There's still about seven weeks until Election Day, but already, front yards and street corners across Washington County are filling up with campaign signs.
However, in a few neighborhoods around town, campaign signs have turned up missing, or vandalized.
Beth Sylvester lives near Wilson Park in Fayetteville.
She's displaying her support for President Barack Obama in the race for the White House, but she said the sign in her yard, keeps disappearing.
"I came out one morning and the wire was all bent and the sign was missing," she said.
Thinking it must've been an accident, Sylvester immediately replaced it.
"A couple of days ago I come home and the second sign is completely missing," she said. "I talked with my neighbors, their sign was missing down the street, across the street and then my sister who lives the next block over, her sign was also missing."
Republican Jeff Williams is equally frustrated.
Williams is running for re-election as Washington County Assessor, and he's lost a handful of signs recently to vandalism.
"If you have to go back and constantly be checking your signs for vandalism, it takes away your effort to be able to get out there and go door to door and talk to the taxpayers," he said.
They may be members of different political parties, but both Sylvester and Williams agree, stealing or defacing campaign signs is politically incorrect.
"For me it's a freedom of speech issue. We all have the rights to support the candidate of our choice and to publicly promote that," Sylvester said.
"I wish something like this, events like this, wouldn't occur but unfortunately they seem to occur in almost all campaigns and at all levels," said Williams.
Williams' opponent for Washington County Assessor, Dan Cypert said he hasn't had any
problems with his signs.
"I have not had any issues with any of my signs being stolen or defaced. I always make sure that I have the property owners or tenants permission to put up a sign & also make sure that the sign is not in the road or highway right-of-way," Cypert said. "Not getting permission or placing them in right-of-ways may be the cause of some candidates losing signs."
Stealing campaign signs is illegal. People caught committing the crime could face misdemeanor theft of property charges.
However, in a few neighborhoods around town, campaign signs have turned up missing, or vandalized.
Beth Sylvester lives near Wilson Park in Fayetteville.
She's displaying her support for President Barack Obama in the race for the White House, but she said the sign in her yard, keeps disappearing.
"I came out one morning and the wire was all bent and the sign was missing," she said.
Thinking it must've been an accident, Sylvester immediately replaced it.
"A couple of days ago I come home and the second sign is completely missing," she said. "I talked with my neighbors, their sign was missing down the street, across the street and then my sister who lives the next block over, her sign was also missing."
Republican Jeff Williams is equally frustrated.
Williams is running for re-election as Washington County Assessor, and he's lost a handful of signs recently to vandalism.
"If you have to go back and constantly be checking your signs for vandalism, it takes away your effort to be able to get out there and go door to door and talk to the taxpayers," he said.
They may be members of different political parties, but both Sylvester and Williams agree, stealing or defacing campaign signs is politically incorrect.
"For me it's a freedom of speech issue. We all have the rights to support the candidate of our choice and to publicly promote that," Sylvester said.
"I wish something like this, events like this, wouldn't occur but unfortunately they seem to occur in almost all campaigns and at all levels," said Williams.
Williams' opponent for Washington County Assessor, Dan Cypert said he hasn't had any
problems with his signs.
"I have not had any issues with any of my signs being stolen or defaced. I always make sure that I have the property owners or tenants permission to put up a sign & also make sure that the sign is not in the road or highway right-of-way," Cypert said. "Not getting permission or placing them in right-of-ways may be the cause of some candidates losing signs."
Stealing campaign signs is illegal. People caught committing the crime could face misdemeanor theft of property charges.
