Taking street signs can cause injury to others, Mahoning officer warns

CANFIELD

Street signs are what most people would assume to be permanent fixtures, helping them navigate around town. But those around Canfield Township are disappearing – most commonly ones for Victory Lane and Winners Circle.

Stealing these signs does more than just contribute to cool wall art; it also contributes to crime rates and safety hazards.

Mahoning County Sheriff Maj. Jeffrey Allen said street signs serve a purpose for navigation, and without them, innocent people could pay the ultimate price for what a perpetrator would think is just fun.

“When it comes to safety services – such as fire, police and ambulance – a lot of times we rely on street signs to know where we are. And, if we don’t have one and miss a street because the sign is gone, it takes precious time away from someone who needs us,” Allen said, “That’s something people committing these offenses don’t think about. Imagine if it was your loved one at risk because of a missing sign.”

Stealing street signs is not a new crime.

Read more about the problem in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.