Sign vandalism returns to Jones Co.

     In October 2023, County Engineer Derek Snead addressed ongoing sign vandalism throughout Jones County. Six months later, the topic has come up again.

   During the April 23 Jones County Supervisor meeting, Supervisor John Schlarmann said he received several text messages from a resident in the Richland Road and Butterfield Road area regarding seven road signs that had been vandalized.

   Snead said sign vandalism comes and goes in cycles.

   "The last 18 to 24 months have been exorbitantly more than what we have seen historically in the past," noted Snead. "We have gotten a huge rash of sign vandalism across the county."

   Snead suggested the vandalism is more concentrated from the Richland Road area to County Road E-29, east of the Highway 38 corridor.

   He said that activity in this area does not come as a huge surprise.

   "If you put a people density map out there, there are not nearly that many homes and yard lights or traffic going on in that area. So it makes sense that that's where it would be."

   Sign replacement costs have skyrocketed in Jones County, with the Engineer's Office paying two to three times what they'd typically spend to replace a sign. Snead said not too long ago, 120 to 150 signs were vandalized.

   "A lot of them are repeats," he said of the occurrences.

   And those responsible are not just targeting older signs that have been in place for 10 years; they're tearing down and shooting newer signs that might have only been up for two weeks.

   Snead said the issue has been brought to Sheriff Greg Graver's attention.

   Some of the road signs that have been stolen have been returned.

   Snead said the activity slowed down for a couple of months and now it's picked back up again.

   "There are signs that have been hit again, but there is also some randomness to it, too," offered Snead. "It used to be where they would steel them, now it's more shooting and knocking the signs over."

   Sneads estimates that it costs between $250 and $350 per sign installation.

   "That adds up quick," he said.

   While any vandalism to any sign is bad, Snead said it can be especially dangerous when it happens to stop signs. If a stop sign, for instance, is heavily damaged or stolen, Secondary Roads is out immediately to address the situation.

   "It's a huge expense," he said of sending crew members out after hours or on the weekends.