County Wants To Slam Brakes On Constant Removal Of Stop Sign In/Around: Wild Rose Prairie

A newly erected stop sign has irritated someone to the point that the sign had been torn down or vandalized more than two dozen times in the past four months.

The rampant mischief prompted the Spokane County engineer’s office to plead with the public for information to catch the vandal or vandals.

“It’s getting to be pretty expensive,” said Bob Brueggeman, a county traffic engineer. “Plus there is potential there for a serious accident.”

The stop sign was erected last August at the intersection of Monroe, Hazard and Ridgeway roads. It prevents eastbound drivers from racing through the intersection without yielding.

Previously, only northbound and southbound drivers had to stop.

The new sign gives the right of way to westbound traffic, forcing eastbound drivers to stop, Brueggeman said.

New development to the south and west of the intersection has changed traffic patterns in the area, he said.

“But someone just doesn’t seem to think people should stop,” Brueggeman said.

Shortly after the new stop sign was put up, the county engineer’s office received a report that the sign was missing.

Crews found it nearby and tacked it back up.

Since then, it has been torn down or stolen at least 25 times, including three occasions last week.

Half the time, road workers find the sign nearby. But the rest of the time they have to put up a new one.

Brueggeman figures the vandal has cost the county more than $3,000 in materials and wages to replace the sign.

Several times he has called people out from home on the weekends to replace the sign.

“We’ve taken to patrolling it daily,” he said. “And we still find it down or missing.”

Brueggeman is asking anyone with information about the vandalism to call Crime Check at 456-2233.

“We just want it to stop.”