The town of Carmel in Putnam County is grappling with a persistent prank that has quietly drained its budget, as officials say roughly 300 address and street signs have gone missing over the past three to four years. What might look like harmless mischief has added up to a significant expense for the town, and police say it is also creating a public safety risk that goes well beyond the cost of replacing the metal placards.
Police Chief Hoffman said the department has been tracking the disappearances and has found that most of the culprits are young. We found that it's mostly kids, it's high school age kids that are doing it as a prank, the chief said, describing a pattern of thefts that has continued for years and left blank posts where street names used to guide drivers and first responders through the town.
The financial toll has been steep. The chief said the missing signs have cost the town somewhere between 90,000 and 100,000 dollars over that period, money spent fabricating and installing replacements only for some of them to vanish again. While traffic signs being taken has not been an issue, he said, the loss of street signs is a different matter because they are a necessity rather than a novelty.
The biggest concern, according to the department, is what happens in an emergency. Carmel relies on a large volunteer presence for its fire and EMS services, and those responders tend to trend younger in age and may not always be familiar with every part of the area they are racing to reach. A missing street sign can cost precious seconds when someone is trying to locate a home during a fire or a medical call.
Residents said they do not find the prank amusing either, echoing the concerns raised by police. Community members called it very dangerous, especially for firefighters and police officers who may be new to the job, and said taking a street sign is not fair and not funny. Several described being shocked that the thefts had become so common in their town over the years.
The department says it plans to crack down using tools it already has in place, with Chief Hoffman saying officers will be utilizing existing cameras to catch any future sign thieves. In the meantime, the town is offering a way out for those who already have a sign at home, asking that any stolen street sign be returned to the Carmel Highway Department with no questions asked, and urging anyone who witnesses suspicious activity to contact the Carmel Police Department.