Morinville police need help to figure out who vandalized the town’s speed-monitoring signs.
Morinville RCMP are looking for suspects in connection with two acts of vandalism against the town’s speed-monitoring signs on the night of March 21, said Staff Sgt. Mac Richards. The signs, which have been in place since 2009, were found damaged the next day.
Both signs appeared to have been struck with a blunt object that took chips out of their bulletproof-glass displays, said Bruce Kaminski, head of Independent Traffic Services that runs Morinville’s photo radar program and the two signs. Both signs automatically turned off in response to the impacts. The sign across from St. Germain Plaza was also cut off its post and found lying in the street by public works the next day.
The signs cost about $5,500 each, Kaminski said. They have been struck or unplugged before, but never damaged to this extent. “It’s kind of senseless,” he said of the vandalism, as the signs are there for public education.
Vandalism is a criminal offence, Richards said, which in this case would likely carry a maximum sentence of two years in jail or six months plus a $2,000 fine upon conviction.
Crews will replace the signs this week, Kaminski said, and would consider putting vandal-detecting cameras in them in the future. “We’re going to be watching the signs a little bit closer.”
Anyone with information on this crime should call the RCMP at 780-939-4550 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
