Dozens Of Street Signs In Wayland Stolen

WAYLAND (CBS) -- The town of Wayland is trying to catch thieves who are stealing street and road signs, as many as thirty in the last month.

It's become a sign of trouble for the town since they are costly to replace, as much as $75 per sign, and the cost to taxpayers has already topped $3,000.

"There's not really sidewalks. Kids walk home all the time, the stop signs are really important," said Wayland resident Melissa Chu who is concerned about safety.

WBZ-TV's Beth Germano reports.

Stop signs, speed limit signs and road signs, like French Avenue where Shaun Powers lives, the sign long gone.

"We had somebody who wanted to do work on our house and couldn't find the street and got frustrated," said Powers.

Police aren't sure if it's simply pranksters or more desperate thieves. In many cases the pole is gone too, sawed off at the base in minutes and possibly sold to scrap dealers for quick cash.

"You want your tax dollars going to the schools and basic public safety," said resident Rob Leavitt.

Police haven't figured out a pattern to the crime since it's happening all over town. Signs are also being vandalized with "inappropriate graffiti," according to the Department of Public Works which was called to a street to remove a vandalized stop sign right away so children wouldn't see what was painted on it.

Police say they often see a spike in street sign thefts in the spring, but nothing as bad as this.

They need the public's help to catch the culprits, and urge anyone who sees suspicious activity to report it to police.