Atlas Twp.- Several township residents in the Horton Road area have reported road material stolen from county ditches.
Paul Amman, township supervisor, said the several tons of loaf-of-bread-size limestone aggregate used for ditch repair was reported missing during the last few weeks.
‘Someone took every stone,? said Amman. ‘That’s on the taxpayers? dime.?
John Daly, Genesee County Road Commission manager-director, said while removing materials from along a roadway or from the surface of a roadway is not too common, it does occur and the county will prosecute violators.
‘The person is stealing from all of us,? said Daly. ‘There are two issues with this illegal act of removing materials. First, you are creating a road hazard if the materials are taken from the roadway and a pothole is created. And second, it’s simply stealing from taxpayers.?
Daly said two years ago a person was caught removing material from the center of the road and filling their driveway with the gravel.
‘Just like the case in Atlas Township, a citizen made a complaint and they were caught. The case was settled by having the resident replace the material and sign an agreement they were not to do this again.?
Chris Swanson, of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department, said these types of cases are no different than any larceny.
‘The society is the victim here,? said Swanson. ‘Over the years, we’ve prosecuted people for stealing orange barrels with the blinking lights from the roadside. We are currently investigating this case and will continue to do so.?