TOLEDO, Ohio — Republicans and Democrats are finding some common ground this election; their campaign signs are being stolen.
The Bowling Green Police Division is one of many area police departments getting calls about this issue. Lt. Dan Mancuso said signs from both parties being taken from front yards, businesses and other private properties.
“We have been receiving reports of stolen political signs, we do traditionally get those every election cycle," Mancuso said.
“I came home from shopping and all of them were gone! I felt like this was a violation of my freedom of speech” said Perrysburg resident Rodney Franks, who had his Biden signs stolen along with other Democratic signs.
“At my house, we've had four signs taken over the last two campaigns,” Trump supporter Mario Dominguez said.
If you plan to put out a campaign yard sign, the best way to protect it is by keeping it in a well-lit area, close to your home. If you have security cameras and can position it within the frame of the camera that can also help.
But sometimes even security footage isn’t enough. If you catch someone on camera stealing your sign and police find them, it can be tricky proving the campaign sign they stole is actually yours because campaign signs are very similar to one another.
Regardless, many voters are getting creative to protect their political declarations.
“We put barbed wire around them and push pins in the plastic just to keep the signs from being taken because we have cameras so we can watch them run out and grab the signs," Dominguez said.
“We set a trap, we mixed together Vaseline and glitter and put that on the edges of the sign. So if anyone takes it, they'll be covered in glitter," Franks said.
If someone is caught stealing a political sign, they can be charged with misdemeanor theft.