'Deliberate' sign thefts undermine election process, candidates say

Returning home from an evening walk in London's Northridge neighbourhood earlier this month, Teagan Krziyzek was shocked to witness the theft of an election lawn sign. 

It was just after 10:30 p.m. and a car buzzed past him on Tweed Crescent before coming to a sudden stop in front of a neighbour's house. A passenger jumped out and yanked a sign for London Centre Conservative candidate Stephen Gallant out of the lawn. 

"Within seconds the guy had grabbed the sign, it was in the trunk and gone," said Krziyzek. 

"I really don't like seeing that," said Krziyzek. "We need to be able to voice our opinions. Our country is at risk right now. Left or right, we have to fight." 

While sign vandalism and theft is fairly common during election campaigns, some candidates and their campaign workers who spoke to CBC News say sign the problem is noticeably worse this time around. Also, some claim the thefts appear to be organized and targeted — and not the result of run-of-the mill, aimless acts of vandalism. 

Defacing, altering, or stealing a campaign sign is punishable under the federal Elections Act with anyone convicted liable for fines up to $5,000 and six months in jail. There are also smaller fines for less serious offences.  

Samuel Gallant, who is managing his father and Conservative candidate Stephen Gallant's campaign in the riding of London Centre, said many supporters have been reporting sign thefts. 

"It's been very targeted and very organized," said Gallant. "It pushes it beyond rampant vandalism and into something that appears to be a little more insidious. I know all the candidates have experienced some degree of this." 

Thefts seem 'very deliberate'

Small lawns signs can quickly be replaced but the Gallant campaign has lost 50 of the larger and much more expensive roadside signs with voting day now just five days away. 

"It seems very deliberate, and it's on a scale that we didn't see in 2021," said Gallant. "It's not even close." 

It's also not only the Conservatives who've been targeted. In the same north London subdivision where Krziyzek saw the Conservative sign being taken, Sue Philmore had her lawn sign showing support for Liberal candidate Peter Fragiskatos stolen overnight. 

London Police Service said each theft is treated as a separate incident and that they can't determine whether they're increasing in number without responding to an access to information request, a process that can take months. 

Liberal signs in Port Burwell vanish overnight

David Goodwin, the Liberal candidate running in the riding of Elgin–St. Thomas–London South, posted about the sign theft problem on Facebook.

"[Sign thefts] are at a scale that I haven't seen before," said Goodwin, who has worked as a volunteer in three previous campaigns before becoming a first-time candidate in this election.  

In one incident, almost all Goodwin's roadside signs in the community of Port Burwell were taken overnight. Goodwin said similar mass thefts of his signs have happened in Aylmer, St. Thomas and other areas of the riding. 

Many of the large road signs taken are supported by buried steel posts, and would require special cutting tools to remove so quickly. 

Andrew Lawton, Goodwin's Conservative opponent in Elgin–St. Thomas–London South, said in an email to CBC News he's had "numerous instances" of his campaign signs being stolen or vandalized. 

"It's volunteers who spend a great deal of time installing, replacing, and repairing signs so it's regrettable that some people resort to vandalism and theft because of political disagreements," he said.

Stiff fines for stealing signs

Criminal charges for stealing or wrecking signs could result in theft or mischief charges with fines up to $5,000, according to London police. 

Goodwin hopes the sign theft and damage stops happening to all candidates. He said campaign signs are a key way for candidates to get their message out and let voters know an election is underway.

"It's a cornerstone of elections that you don't touch campaign signs ever," he said.