Political lawn signs, always a target in October, are stolen or mangled in towns across Connecticut

Political campaign signs are disappearing or being vandalized at a worse rate than usual in some Connecticut towns, but other communities report a relatively quiet end of campaign season.

“It’s off the charts this year — we put out 100 Trump signs and more than half of them are gone,” Bristol Republican Town Chairman Jeff Caggiano said. “People are tearing the 4-by-8-foot ones, even driving through them.”

But just a few towns away, Canton and New Britain police have gotten surprisingly few complaints about stolen or damaged signs.

“Four years ago there was a lot more activity. There are a lot of signs out, but there really hasn’t been much tampering or theft — it’s been very quiet, and we hope it stays that way,” Canton Police Chief Christopher Arciero said.

Facebook community pages in several Connecticut towns had been getting multiple posts in the past couple of weeks about lawn signs being stolen or mutilated. Jan Carpenter of Farmington reported her property was targeted over the weekend.

“It was so utterly disrespectful it made my heart break,” Carpenter said after finding signs for three Democratic candidates — state Rep. Mike Demicco, U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes and state Sen. Derek Slap — ripped to pieces on her lawn.

“I know Mike personally. He is the nicest guy you could meet — he goes into senior centers, he helps kids with special needs. Maybe you don’t want to vote for him, but I have no tolerance for trespassing and vandalism,” Carpenter said.

Carpenter called police Sunday after the three lawn signs on her Meadow Street property were shredded overnight.

A fourth sign for the Biden/Harris ticket was stolen, and in its place someone put up five Trump/Pence signs, she said.

“They’re already in my trash can,” she said.

Farmington police sent an officer to take a report, but it’s rare that such cases produce an arrest in any community.

“It’s usually done at night when there aren’t a lot of witnesses. It’s very tough to prove,” said Lt. Tim McKenzie, who confirmed that Farmington has had a small increase in such incidents. Vandals have struck signs supporting both political parties' candidates, he said.

“Every election as we get closer, there’s an uptick. But this is probably the most emotionally charged season,” he said.

Watertown, Orange, Norwalk and Ledyard are just a few of the communities where political signs have been stolen or destroyed this year. In Bristol, Tabacco & Sons Builders has a massive Trump banner outside its headquarters on Route 69, posted high above ground level.

“They put up the first one and within five hours someone drove right through it - that’s why this one is where it is,” Caggiano said. “People are trying to steal the 4-by-8 signs, we have video of a lady trying to hammer one. Every day someone is trying to spray paint one or drive through it.”

Republicans aren’t the only target in Bristol. Homeowner Sandra Kaye Baker put up a Biden sign a month ago, and lost it when an entire street’s worth of Biden signs was taken in the middle of the night two weeks ago.

“I always wanted a sign on my yard — I lived in Simsbury for 16 years where it was against the condo rules to have one. My house is where our street meets another street, and the slope is perfect for a sign,” Baker said.

Baker posted a note about the theft on Bristol Talks, and was surprised when Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu, a Democrat, commented that she’d try to replace it.

“I came back from errands the next Sunday morning and there were these perfectly placed signs — a large one for Biden, and four for local candidates,” she said. “That just made my day that the mayor and a councilman would come to do that.”

All signs that disappear aren’t necessarily targets of partisan theft, said Chris Hoheb, Republican town chair in Farmington. He noted that years ago a wave of signs from both parties vanished — later, it turned out that a local youth had been ripping them out randomly.

“He was just acting out, it was regardless of affiliation,” said Hoheb, who isn’t sure yet whether this campaign season is any worse than usual in Farmington.

But either way, everyone should condemn theft and vandalism regardless of which candidates are targeted, he said.

“Regardless of your leanings or beliefs or affiliations, it’s not only a crime but you’re also depriving someone else of their Constitutional right to free speech,” Hoheb said. “That applies to any and all political parties.”

Carpenter said she will not give up.

“I’ve ordered four Biden signs. You don’t shut me up — nobody shuts me up,” she said.

Meanwhile, Carpenter is making her own oversized sign and will attach it to a wood pallet on a tree.

“My first signs were very modest in promoting the people I thought would do the best job,” she said. "Now I’m going big.”

Don Stacom can be reached at dstacom@courant.com.

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