A Strategically Placed AirTag Led Police To A Dumpster Full Of Stolen Democratic Campaign Signs

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

On Wednesday morning, Sandy Gilson noticed four political signs, including one supporting Senate candidate John Fetterman, missing from her front lawn — the second time in two weeks this had happened. When Gilson, a longtime resident of Tredyffrin Township, an affluent Philadelphia suburb where she serves as a committee member for her precinct, drove around her neighborhood, she noticed more signs — all supporting Democrats ahead of next month’s midterm elections — gone too.

But when she decided to file a report with the local police department, the cops already knew where her signs would be — in a large commercial dumpster behind a strip mall in the area. How? Because someone had put an Apple AirTag on one of the signs.

“The signs were found after a resident notified our officers of the location of the AirTag,” Lt. Tyler Moyer of the Tredyffrin Township Police Department told BuzzFeed News.

The dumpster contained more than 100 stolen political signs, all supporting Democratic candidates or progressive causes like reproductive rights and Black Lives Matter. Police said they are combing through video footage near the dumpster but have yet to identify a suspect.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/strategically-placed-airtag-led-police-164830802.html

[AllaN01Bear]

1. good .

[Murphyb849]

2. Can the GOP do ANYTHING without cheating or breaking the law?

[babylonsister]

3. Do you mean win honestly? Seems they don't think they can. nt

[DFW]

7. They KNOW that.

It’s why they lie and cheat so much.

[Beartracks]

29. Republicans find that democracy is an obstacle to their power.

They have no use for it.

========

[RainCaster]

4. Laws & rules are for the little people

Repukes don't need no stinkin rules.

[DFW]

6. Yes. One thing.

They can lie. Like a rug. About anything and everything.

[KPN]

20. No. They have to cheat in order to accomplish

virtually anything, because they do nothing that has any socially redeeming value whatsoever.

[Conjuay]

35. forgive me...

but there is a Ron Desantis sign close enough to the median that I have been contemplating putting some tire tracks across.

My other thought was to make a stencil with the word “ fascist” and wander by with some spray paint.

I am so tired of these goons

[I_UndergroundPanther]

38. No

They are a minority most people dont want thier bullshit,even if they think they do.

1 person 1. Vote and removal of the electoral college would be the end of the right wing and billionairs and republicans know this.

We still have screwed up voting and they cheat.Tells you how much people dont want right wingers in power.

Wish more people understood this.

[Snackshack]

40. No,

Not the current gop. Which really should be disqualified from holding any office. It’s not out of the realm of reality that a Greene or Boebert could end up in very very serious positions of authority who’s decisions could effect millions as DTs already did which resulted in over a million dead Americans. Why would any reasonable person think that acceptable?

[Beachnutt]

5. Ring cameras are everywhere, surely the thieves

will be caught

[Qutzupalotl]

8. Good use of the technology.

More people should consider using it.

[Baitball Blogger]

9. Blink cameras can find who is responsible.

[Blue Owl]

10. Find that fuck and press charges

[jmowreader]

12. And ENOUGH charges...

…that the scumbag loses his or her right to vote. Forever. Make An Example out of this person.

[paleotn]

11. I considered....

digging punji stick traps around our Biden sign back in 2020, but my better half talked me down. Crow's feet? Caltrops? Nope. You aren't doing those either. Damn!

[The Wizard]

13. To paraphrase Richard Nixon:

When a Republican does it, it's not illegal.

[James48]

15. At least they recovered the signs.

[AZ8theist]

16. When this happened in Arizona last election....

We did 2 things:

1. We placed desert bush branches on the top of the sign. The type with multiple LARGE spikes.

2. Added another sign on the lawn that said: "If you steal my signs, I will only buy more, contributing MORE MONEY to my Democratic candidate"

The sign stealing stopped.

[aeromanKC]

17. Should be election fraud

[azureblue]

18. and here we go again

I had my signs stolen - several times. I got roofing tar - the really gooey smelly stuff, and smeared it on the edge of the sign frame, and the was the last sign that was stolen. If you build a 2 x 2 frame and paint it black, the tar is really hard to see against the black paint. Funny part is, a few days after the tarred sign was stolen, I saw a truck in a parking lot with tar on the door handle.

[Ligyron]

22. Great idea!

Cause ground glass or razor blades (my friend’s idea) might get one sued.

[Pacifist Patriot]

23. I put capsaicin oil on my yard signs back in 2004 after they kept disappearing within 24 hours.

Wouldn't you know, the most vocal right-wing neighbor had a sudden mysterious eye ailment that involved redness and burning just a day later.

[progressoid]

33. Hahahaha!

[Pacifist Patriot]

36. All natural ingredients. I didn't feel a twinge of guilt.

[progressoid]

41. My parents had their hand painted Biden sign vandalized.

I suggested similar remedies but they are much more nice than me.

So I bought them 8 more regular yard signs that they gave to the handful of Democrats in town. Within a week they were all stolen.

[halfulglas]

19. This, of course, is one reason there are usually more Republican signs.

(Signs being stolen, not found, of course). This only seems to be in the last maybe 20 years that it is so bad. So many hate to spend money for a sign and have it stolen. Get a bumper sticker and have your car keyed, etc.

[Meadowoak]

26. I stopped putting out any signs, they just get stolen, and I

Fear it might make me a target (rural KY) and not taking any chances with bumper stickers for fear of vandalism. I think stealing signs (from democrats) is a sport to them.

[LeftInTX]

31. I don't do bumper stickers.

Roads are for driving, not politics. At least that's how I see it. I fear road rage and vandalism etc.
However, I've got lots of signs in my yard. So far, they haven't been stolen.

[Meadowoak]

32. I used to do bumper stickers when I drove older cars, but now

That I have a new car, I won't take a chance. Hadn't thought about road rage, around here, you might get shot.

[LeftInTX]

34. Yeah, reckless drivers with their big trucks can run you off the road. I don't need that.

[liberal N proud]

21. Many years ago, I caught people steal my signs

I was coming home and saw them through them in their vehicle.
I pulled in front of them and blocked the road until the cops showed up.
Their suv was full of stolen signs.

[robbob]

25. Did you ever hear what happened to them?

More then a slap on the wrist, I hope…

[liberal N proud]

42. No I never heard or don't recall

The adrenaline from stopping them seared it in my memory

[albacore]

24. This stuff works well.... on squirrels at the bird feeder...

and on signs to keep them safe.
Warning: Wear disposable gloves when you use this stuff.
If a person stealing the signs is wearing gloves, it doesn't help them much...the stuff goes right thru cloth gloves, and is impossible to get off clothing.

[bucolic_frolic]

27. Theft and trespass and free speech violations

Throw the book at them!

[jaxexpat]

30. The thrown book injury wouldn't even require a Band-Aid, nor merit a boo-boo kiss.

It's a known fact that the laws governing all the dirty tricks performed by the GOP are written in large type, double spaced on a single sheet of 8-1/2 x 11 paper (most of it: title and catalog number). So, unless there's a paper cut involved, these perps go down with no more than a high-five and a laugh at the local watering hole.

In my neighborhood there are no political signs at all until someone puts up a Democratic one. Then the whole block looks like a Trump rally, except there are actually people here.

[WiVoter]

28. Appreciate The Ideas Here

I live in rural northern Wisconsin. My little town used to be a democratic island. I live on 40 acres on a corner. I had a large Biden/Harris sign nailed high on a tree with 2 x 4’s, on the corner of our property. It lasted about two weeks. The sign was torn down, with the boards left up on the tree. I am surrounded by trumpers. We’ve been living here for almost 40 years, And I’m pretty sure this was a neighbor. I have video surveillance on the house, but I don’t think a ring camera would work on the corner of our property because I don’t think the internet will reach it. I am considering hiring someone to watch my signs, I haven’t put any out yet. I will put some out shortly before the election. I am concerned about being at target. But I will not skip putting out signs. When I do this, I will post photos here on DU. Again, I’d appreciate any other ideas any of you my fellow DUers might have.

[2live is 2fly]

39. How about a motion activated light or replace the bulb with a screw-in plug adapter, wire to-

gether a few cheap extension cords, a 120v.-ac to 12v.-dc power adapter/converter wired to 12v.-dc buzzer in your house or even a small night-light. Theres only a few connections to make and it'll usually work well. Most if not all of this stuff is available from Radio-Shack. I have heard of ppl getting so pissed-off having signs stolen that they used fishing line and several small hooks (barbs removed w/file of course). Going this far (over-board) is usually the purview of our conservative friends. We don't want to hurt anybody. We should remember that many times this'll be kids/teens listening to their idiot parents ranting about whatever latest crap they most recently heard on fox-fake-news (or other garbage source) and wanting to make ma & pa (more often than not=pa) proud.

[2live is 2fly]

37. Back around 25 yrs ago I swiped a number of political campaign signs, I felt then as I do now

completely justified snatching every one of-em. Why did-I/do-I feel (still) that I was right for taking them, the simple answer is because they were strewn-out all along OUR I-69 Interstate (East/West I-69) Freeway for about 15/20 miles or so (ALMOST ALL THE WAY TO PORT HURON, MI.).

Don't really remember it all that clearly (after-all, was around 25yrs. ago)! Happened to be around a week before the election. Bill Clinton was running for his second (1996) term (POTUS). I was on east-bound side, somewhere between Imlay-City & Port-Huron, MI... I started seeing all these republican (YARD) SIGNS IN THE MEDIAN (BETWEEN EAST/WEST) OF THE X-WAY... The further I drove the more pissed I was getting!

I WAS LIKE WTF! NOBODY IS ALLOWED TO PUT SIGNS ON OUR PUBLIC PROPERTY! We don't do it and neither can they, the thing is, we know better, they don't (OR THEY THINK THEY'RE ABOVE THE LAW)! If you see this, pull over, take the signs, throw them in your trunk until you can find a garbage can.

PUBLIC TAX - PAYER - SUPPORTED - INTERSTATE - HIGHWAY - SYSTEM BELONGS TO ALL OF US!