Over 48 street signs stolen near W’burg, officials say

Williamsburg officials say they hope to find out who is behind a recent rash of street sign thefts across town, and that they plan to prosecute the perpetrators to the fullest extent of the law if they are caught.
Cecil Powers, head of the sanitation department, estimates that 48 signs have been taken over the last two months.
“I’ve put up about eight recently, and two of them are already gone plus stop signs, which are very critical,” Powers noted.
Williamsburg Fire Chief James Privett said street sign theft isn’t a prank, and could cost people their lives as it creates problems for firefighters, police officers, and ambulance workers when attempting to find a home.
“People don’t realize the danger created by taking these signs. People could actually die by the time an ambulance or somebody can get to them because they were having to run up and down the street trying to find where they live,” Privett said. “We’ve got to try and get it stopped.”
Officials say the theft of street signs has been a recurring problem the last few years.
Privett estimates that last summer about 75 signs had to be replaced, and another 75 signs the summer before that.
“Sometimes, we’ll go down streets putting them up, and by daylight the next morning, they’ll be gone. We’ve put up as much as 20 in an afternoon, and 20 have been gone by the next day,” Privett said.
In addition to the danger missing signs create, the average sign costs the city $20 to replace.
Mayor Roddy Harrison said authorities will prosecute people caught stealing street signs.
“If anybody sees someone taking down a sign or something, let us know, and we are going to do something about it,” Harrison said. “We are going to have to take it more seriously. I don’t think a lot of people, who take the signs, understand. They just think it might be something fun and cool to do, and go and joke about it later.
“What they don’t understand is the importance there is for emergency vehicles that need to be able and find what roads they are going to. If anybody out there sees someone taking it down, they need to call city hall, and we are going to do something about it.”
Anyone having information about stolen street signs can call the Williamsburg Police Department at 549-6037 or 549-3038.