The Marion County Road Department and area law enforcement is warning residents about the dangers of stealing signs.

Many have gone missing in the Lake Prairie township and around the Pella area in the past two weeks.

Marion County Engineer Tyler Christian says disobeying, defacing, or altering traffic control devices make for unsafe situations for the traveling public and is illegal.

“We don’t arbitrarily put up signs, so where there are stop and yield signs or curve signs, it’s because there is some kind of safety issue,” Christian says.

He says it costs the road department and taxpayers time and money to repair or replace stolen or intentionally damaged signs.

Those who see suspicious activity or someone possessing a sign are asked to report the incident to area law enforcement.