Foothills neighborhoods seeing more stolen and defaced election signs

CATALINA FOOTHILLS, Ariz. (KGUN) — Up and down Kathy Baum’s neighborhood in the Foothills there are various campaign signs advertising the two sides of the political aisle.

Taking a hammer and pushing down a Trump Vance sign into the grass on her lawn, Baum was frustrated with having to put up another sign.

“It was frustration. It was the fact that somebody would come into my personal space,” Baum said about her reaction to seeing her first sign stolen.

The sign was stolen the day after the last presidential debate and Baum even put up cameras to catch anyone who might do it again.

“They’re taking away everybody’s right to have their sign regardless of who it is, what it does. It just puts frustration and adds and builds to the fight and builds to the anger. I think it’s putting even more of a wedge between people who don’t need more of a wedge at this point,” she said.

Arizona Senate Bill 1063, which was passed into law in April, makes it a class two misdemeanor to remove, deface, or alter any candidate’s sign or signs for any ballot measure, question or issue. The law applies between 71 days before an election up until 15 days after it.

“This is supposed to be our legislative decision and signs for both sides should be equally out and about and respected,” Baum, who agrees someone should get consequences, said.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department says deputies would handle the initial investigation and categorize it as theft, vandalism, or a relevant classification. That information is then forwarded to their criminal investigation department to review and arrests can be made.

The Tucson Police Department said if there is enough evidence and there is probable cause, they can make an arrest like they do with other crimes. The person can be cited and released, or go to jail.

In Baum’s same Foothills neighborhood, David Gorcey also had two signs stolen two weeks ago, and because of that, he also put up a camera.

“Freedom of speech is everything. I mean, that’s what America was built on,” Gorcey said.

In the past 20 years he’s lived in his neighborhood, Gorcey said he’s never had anything stolen from him. Now he has a Trump Vance sign his son made near his driveway.

“If they were taken again I would just make bigger signs. You’re not going to stop… I’m not going to stop you from believing or doing something and you’re not going to stop me," Gorcey said.

Shelly Good-Burgoyne is the executive director of the Pima County Democrats. She says people walk in to their office to ask for replacement signs every day.

“Races that become very contested and very heated, so to speak, and it tends to happen more for those candidates that are running in a very tough race,” Goode-Burgoyne said.

She said signs have been stolen in close local, state, and federal races. Both she and Dave Smith, the chairman of the Pima County Republicans, said they have seen more signs stolen or defaced this election season than any other.

Good-Burgoyne mentioned that the party would never ask anyone to deface or steal a sign in retribution. Rather, she hopes Democrats can beat Republicans at the ballot box.

“Have respect for each other and respect for each side,” she said.

Baum also echoed similar thoughts, and said she respects people’s individual choice to put up signs and vote for whoever they want to.

“That’s what this is all about. It’s everybody’s individual choice and right,” Baum said.