Political signs stolen from homeowner's property
NEWCASTLE, Okla. (KFOR) — A woman's political campaign signs were stolen from her fence not once, but twice. This time, the theft was caught on camera.
Teppi Hannon's fence used to be covered with eight political signs in support of Kamala Harris.
"This Saturday at 1 a.m., eight signs. All of my signs were missing," said Teppi Hannon, whose signs were stolen.
On video, the suspected thieves rip the banners off the fence and then drive away.
"They were tied to the fence. So, top and bottom, most of them. So that way they wouldn't blow away. So, yeah, it's just it's very discouraging and frustrating because they're not cheap," said Hannon.
Hannon is no stranger to stolen signs.
"So two weekends ago, I got up and I noticed that three of my signs were missing. And then also other people on Facebook, in our community pages, were reporting that theirs were missing," said Hannon.
After dealing with stolen signs for a second time, Hannon was prepared.
"Immediately got up and I went to the police station. I didn't report it last time because I thought, okay, it was just three, you know, it's fine. But this time literally just got up, went straight to the station," said Hannon.
She also said she was told Newcastle Police would add more patrols to the area.
Hannon is also not letting the suspected thieves kill her enthusiasm about the upcoming election.
"I know it's making them angry and that's not my intent, but I sure do like the fact that that's their response to my wanting to bring people joy and happiness," said Hannon.
Hannon said she has already ordered another banner and plans to put it up again.
The Oklahoma Democratic Party sent a statement:
The theft of Vice President Kamala Harris’ signs from private property isn’t just an attempt to silence one person’s voice; it’s a rejection of the values we hold dear as Oklahomans: respect, community, and neighborliness. This isn’t typical Oklahoman behavior—it’s the result of the division and hostility fueled by Trump’s rhetoric. When voices like his encourage extremism, they pit neighbor against neighbor. Here in Oklahoma, we’re better than that, and I encourage everyone to remember that while we may disagree, respect and democracy go hand in hand.
Alicia Andrews, Chairwoman OK Democrats
News 4 also reached out to the Oklahoma Republican Party:
While we have not had any official reports of Trump signs disappearing I am certain that some have as that type of thing happens with every election.
Stan Stevens, Executive Director, Oklahoma Republican Party
Unfortunately this is a very common occurrence in political campaigns and has been an issue for decades. Sometimes it is someone associated with or supporting a competing candidate and often it is just kids or other people just thinking it’s fun to pick them up. Either way it is a pretty personal thing to the sign owner and a great irritation as we as the financial loss associated with the removal. We encourage people on all sides of the political spectrum to respect the rights and opinions of others as well as their personal property. The political process is something inherently American and we as a people should support everyone’s right to voice their opinions without retribution of any kind, as this is a bedrock of American society and one of the things that makes this the greatest country on earth.