$200 anti-vandalism reward offered

Press, 12 April 1984, Page 9

$200 anti-vandalism reward offered

Vigilant road users who spot and report on people breaking road signs over the next five weeks may receive a $2OO reward. The Automobile Association (Canterbury) launches its second “sign-breaker iaw-breaker” campaign today, offering the reward to anyone supplying information leading to the conviction of a sign-breaker. People who have stolen road signs will be able to salve their consciences during the campaign by returning the signs to the A.A. with no questions asked. The campaign will finish on May 18, the last Friday of the May school holidays. Last year’s three-month campaign (July to September) resulted in a drop in the number of broken, stolen, and defaced road signs, said Mr John Strachan, general manager of the A.A. (Canterbury). About 600 signs were reported broken or stolen in Canterbury and on the West Coast, he said. They cost almost |40,000 to repair and replace. The bill is met by the taxpayer via the National Roads Board (75 per cent) and by association members (25 per cent). ' > Repairs to vanfelised’ rjad signs cost SS(MfP the

previous year, said Mr Strachan.

Last year an amnesty on broken signs was offered for just a short period of _ the campaign and brought in a total of 205 souvenired and mislaid signs. Many of them did not belong to the A.A. but had been stolen from Government departments and local authorities, he said.

The costs of the vandalism were not only financial, but caused inconvenience and possibly danger to road travellers, particularly in cases where a warning sign was broken or removed, Mr Strachan said.

The “souveniring” of road signs to decorate flats and garages was a particular problem. Most popular were signs featuring a novel name or which included a person’s name, he said}

An association member had been in North Canterbury recently and reported that the sign for Stinking Creek had been removed yet again, said Mr Strachan. The association wanted people to keep their eyes open for vandals, and potential vandals to consider the stupidity and selfishness of such actions. Anyone spotting a sign-breaker should take a description of the person(s), of the vehicle, the vehicle’s registration number, and report to the nearest A.A. office or police station.

Schools were also being asked to bring their pupils’ attention to the campaign, because it had been shown that many sign-breakers were young people and that damage increased during school holidays, Mr Strachan said.