Sign Of The Times: Campaign Signs Stolen In North Texas
MCKINNEY (CBSDFW.COM) - Home security video shows someone removing a Ted Cruz campaign sign from an Allen homeowner's yard.
In McKinney, it was a similar story, except the video shows someone removing a Beto O'Rourke yard sign.
And in North Richland Hills, police are investigating residents' complaints that someone stole 60 O'Rourke signs in one neighborhood.
Democrat activist Steven Spainhouer delivers signs at homes and says he's heard about similar problems in McKinney, affecting one campaign in particular. "I don't see any downballot signs being taken. It seems to be the Beto signs mostly. I do know in McKinney we've had several streets that have had entire streets or block sections that have had signs removed."
In a tweet, the McKinney police department asked residents to resist the urge of removing a sign of a candidate they don't support.
Executive Director of the Collin County Republican Party, Neal Katz says it's a rare occurrence, but annoying. "It must be remembered there are people thinking they're helping, think they're being cute, but it really does nothing for the campaigns. In fact, it's more detrimental because I'm sure both parties get the complaints that none of us did."
Spainhouer says with less than five weeks until Election Day, there's no time to waste. "Our resources are very limited just like they probably are in the Republican party. We just want to make sure people respect each other's signs."
Katz agrees, "Our job really at headquarters right now is we get out the vote, we've got our election coming up, early voting starts in 19 days, we're block-walking, we're phone-banking, we're getting out volunteers, putting up door-hangers. This is the most important thing right now."
He says he believes it's a relatively small problem.
Recently, the Collin County GOP headquarters distributed five thousand signs, and Katz says he's received only four complaints that signs were stolen.
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