Missing signs blamed on dopeheads, scavengers

Imagine you are an ambulance driver responding to an emergency call from a rural location in Southeast Missouri. But you can't find County Road 420, because the road signs have been stolen.

This is not a make-believe situation. It happens routinely, and officials in Scott, Cape Girardeau and Perry counties are trying to find ways to stop the thefts. More important than the cost of replacing the signs is the potential cost in human life.

It took road crews a while to figure out why County Road 420 signs were being taken almost as soon as they were put up. "420" is an international slang term for marijuana.

Other county road signs are vulnerable as well, county officials say, because they are used in scavenger hunts.

Dopeheads might think it's fun to steal a sign with the number 420 on it. And teenagers out for a lark might think it's fun to steal other signs as part of a game. But the signs are important to emergency crews responding to calls when time is of the essence.

County road crews have taken to replacing the missing signs with steel posts and heavy-duty signs welded to them. This combination appears to be more durable and harder to steal, but it's also a costly remedy.

As with all senseless crimes, apprehending the culprits hinges mainly on alert motorists and others who might see these signs being stolen. These incidents should be reported immediately to the appropriate sheriff's department or police department.