Thieves have struck the community of Mitchell’s Bay.
A beautiful welcome sign, officially unveiled this past summer, was targeted by thieves sometime late Sunday or early Monday morning.
“At the bottom of the sign there was four carved ducks on stainless steel rods,” said Mitchell’s Bay resident Dave Smith. “They were on the rods so it looked like they were flying. There is a bunch of cattails at the bottom of the sign, so it looked like they were flying out of the cattails.”
Smith said he believes the carvings were still there on Sunday night.
“So sometime late Sunday night, early Monday morning it looks like someone went in with bolt cutters, cut three of them off, tried to cut the other one off,” he said. “I don’t know why, it didn’t get cut off, but you can see the marks where the bolt cutters were on the rod.”
The entire sign – which is dedicated to Red Fisher – was unveiled officially this past July.
“It was an undertaking between the Municipality and the Mitchell’s Bay Area Association,” Smith said. “We fundraised for it, did some activities, got some grants. Unfortunately this is what happens.”
Smith said he contacted the police on Monday.
“I called the police yesterday and they are aware of it,” he said. “There is probably not much they can do, but get the word out. Hopefully, somebody hears something… and hopefully we can get them back, but I’m not going to hold my hopes up too high.”
Smith said the situation is “disheartening.
“It’s terrible. It makes you wonder what you have to do to prevent something like that. You have a beautiful sign, and what do you do, fence it in to keep people out of it? You really don’t know what steps to take. Do you want to put them back up for someone else to steal?” he said.
The Chatham-Kent police are looking for information regarding the theft.
Police officials estimate that the total value of the theft is $500.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 519-436-6600 extension #222.
Anonymous callers may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) and may be eligible for a cash reward.
Here are some more photos from around the sign:
