Campaign signs for Democratic candidates in Pennsylvania have been booby-trapped with razor blades installed along the edges and placed without permission on private property, resulting in injuries to one person who tried to take down the illegal signage.
According to TheBlaze, the incident was reported via a Facebook post from the Upper Makefield Township Police Department from October 16.
The Upper Makefield Township Police said that a person found a sign for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro placed on their property without their permission and attempted to remove it. The property owner was injured in the process by a series of razor blades that were deliberately affixed to the perimeter of the sign.
“What happened here is totally unacceptable and a disgusting act for which a resident ended up slicing their fingers,” the police said. “Obviously, this was designed to inflict punishment on anyone who attempted to remove the sign.”
TheBlaze reported that police responding to the call located two other signs that were similarly modified with razor blades. These signs were for Democrat Senatorial Candidate John Fetterman and a U.S. House of Representatives candidate, Democrat Ashley Ehasz. The signs were removed safely by officers.
The Upper Makefield Township Police Department wrote further, “The investigation is on-going and we would like to ask residents that if you find signs on your property that have been placed there without permission, to please inspect them prior to their removal. If any implements have been installed on the signs, please contact us immediately. No matter your political affiliation, no matter your candidate preference, resorting to this type of depravity is unacceptable and criminal. We can do better and must..”
“Every year we see an increasing number of cases in which political signs are vandalized in one form or another. Over the course of my time in public service I have had my own signs defaced and cut apart.,” State Sen. Steve Santarsiero, chairman of the Bucks County Democrats, wrote in a statement to The Bucks County Courier Times. “This latest incident, which has taken this behavior to a new low, is reprehensible as it risks people’s safety.”
“The Bucks County Democratic Party condemns what happened and hopes that whoever is responsible is brought to justice as soon as possible.”
According to The Courier-Times, Upper Makefield Police said that while the township has seen thefts and vandalism of signs during past elections, this is the first time they have seen razor blades being placed on them.
