ORRINGTON, Maine — Two out-of-town people were charged with theft and removing political signs recently by local police who caught the couple red-handed, Sgt. Jon Carson, Orrington’s community policing supervisor for the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department, said on Wednesday.
Police in Bangor and other communities also have received reports of missing signs.
“There was one yesterday,” Bangor police Lt. Steve Hunt said on Wednesday. “It’s pretty common,” especially the closer it gets to election day, he said.
Sgt. Paul Edwards, also of Bangor, said last Wednesday that he had received two reports of stolen political signs from the day before and he expected others. He sent out a release that day saying he spoke with Assistant District Attorney Alice Clifford about political signs being stolen or damaged, and released the state statute about taking, defacing or disturbing political signs, which is a civil violation.
“A person who takes, defaces or disturbs a lawfully placed sign bearing political messages relating to a general election, primary election or referendum commits a civil violation for which a forfeiture of up to $250 may be adjudged,” the law states.
In Orrington, two deputies working on Friday, Oct. 16, were on Route 15 and noticed a truck stopped on the side of the road. As Deputy Gary Huff and Chad Young passed, they noticed a woman, later identified as Elise Pelletier, 19, of Carmel, pulling a sign from the ground, Carson said.
Shane Davis, 21, of Bucksport was with Pelletier and “they admitted to it and we recovered 11 Vote Yes on One signs,” he said. “They took some of the signs from near the Brewer Rite Aid and the rest from Route 15 in Orrington.”
Police charged Pelletier and Davis with misdemeanor theft and the civil offense of improper removal of political signs, Carson said. They were not arrested.
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