(9/21) Carroll Valley Police reported at the council's September meeting that they have investigated a number of incidences of election sign theft, and one arrest is pending thus far resulting from the thefts.
The irony of it seems to be … it's illegal for election signs to be posted in Carroll Valley this soon before an actual election.
Police Chief Richard Hileman told the council at their September meeting that the property thefts recently investigated involved unlawful taking of political signs that had been posted by property owners. He said thus far, there had been "six or seven election sign thefts that I know of."
Police do have one pending arrest thus far for theft of election signs, although Hileman said he did not know if the suspect intended to keep them or throw them away. "We do have one we're actually going to be able to charge this time." The chief further stated, "From what we are hearing, it's probably as bad as it's (theft of election signs) ever been countywide."
Town Manager David Hazlett told the council, "You're not permitted to have election signs up in Carroll Valley right now," noting that it's against the law in Carroll Valley Borough to display election-related signage more than 30 days prior to an election,
Hazlett said the borough staff has been ignoring the infractions "because of the political ramifications of telling people to take their signs back down," adding, that borough staff is aware of illegally-posted signage "but we're not enforcing it."
The town manager said, "I appreciate people are having them stolen, but they shouldn't have them out anyway."
In other borough police business, the council and Chief Hileman continued to work on developing a monthly police report that contains all the information the council members would like to see in his monthly report - an effort which could only be described as a work-in-progress which has spanned over ever several borough meetings.
It was noted that virtually every time the chief presented the information requested at a council meeting, new questions followed to be addressed.
In order to pin-point what the council actually wants included in the police reports, rather than continue doing so at council meetings, it was decided that the questions should be submitted in writing to a council committee, who will then compile the questions for presentation to Hazlett, Mayor Ron Harris and the police chief to address.
Council members David Lillard, Robert Verderaime and Jessica Kraft volunteered to serve on the committee.
