Stiff penalties if caught

By Jim Newell
Managing Editor
jnewell@mihomepaper.com
ORION TWP. — It’s election season and with the regular political gamesmanship and banter also comes the possibility that a candidate’s signs will be stolen or defaced.
It’s a crime in Michigan to steal or deface political signs and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office will investigate and hold accountable any person they catch taking signs, said Lt. Darren Ofiara, commander of the sheriff’s office Orion Township substation.
In Michigan, stealing or defacing political signs is a misdemeanor larceny that can carry a maximum penalty of a $500 fine, or imprisonment of up to 90 days in jail, according to Michigan Compiled Law Section 750.356 (5).
Orion Township Treasurer candidate Matt Pfeiffer has been a victim, with some unknown individuals stealing his campaign signs and banners. Banners alone can cost up to $100, Pfeiffer said.
Pfeiffer said that someone later found some of his signs laying in alley in downtown Lake Orion, and another was found in a dumpster.
He’s also had signs taking from the Baldwin Road area and other areas around Orion.
“My whole goal is just to keep running a positive campaign. I have a lot of reasons I love to serve the community,” Pfeiffer said. “I feel like, you run, you get your message out, and that’s what the signs help me do, and let the best person win.”
Pfeiffer said he has no idea who is taking his signs.
“A lot of people donated money to help me put the signs out and to see this kind of thing is extremely frustrating,” Pfeiffer said, adding that no one in his campaign would take down an opponent’s signs. “I would be extremely angry if I found out someone was doing that and they would no longer be a part of my team. Because it’s just wrong. We all work hard to try to earn votes. It’s just wrong.”