SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Election day is just 27 days away, and campaign signs are up all over the central coast. But those signs are easy targets for vandals and thieves.
This is a recurring theme during every election but Santa Maria police say that they don't take these incidents lightly. Sources told Central Coast News that some candidates had been reporting campaign sign vandalism in Santa Maria recently. Police say most of these incidents occur late at night when nobody is around to witness it.
As far as measures to protect these signs, Santa Maria police say its an issue that is tough to tackle.
Lt. Norman Come says "the issue for us is that the signs are virtually everywhere. And its difficult for us to take a proactive enforcement posture when you have signs that are virtually on every street in the city".
Santa Maria police weren't able to confirm which candidates had reported signs vandalized or stolen. With the signs that are stolen, they're treated like any other stolen property case. If someone managed to steal $950 worth of property, it would be considered grand theft.
