Nearly $5,000 in signs have been stolen from construction sites in Idaho Falls since April, company says

IDAHO FALLS – Construction sites are dealing with a substantial increase in theft of signs and dangerous driving this year, putting workers safety in jeopardy and plans behind schedule.

According to Idaho Traffic Safety, at least $4,719 in construction signage equipment has been reported stolen in Idaho Falls since April 17.

“I know that many people see the name of our company, Idaho Traffic Safety, and they assume that we are a government-funded company. However, we are a privately owned company. We are currently a woman-owned business,” says Dustin Smith, a bid estimator and project manager for Idaho Traffic Safety. “When signs are stolen from a project, there are more costs than just a lost sign.”

Smith says when a sign is stolen, not only do they lose the money it took to make that sign, but if they don’t have a replacement in stock, they have to make a new one to replace it and pay a contractor to go out to the construction site and set up the new equipment.

This process can happen multiple times a day.

“When there are a lot of signs that have been stolen from a project, the contractor and the traffic control company start to take a loss,” says Smith. “That can affect the future of the project as well as any future projects in the area.”

Local construction workers are also seeing increased dangers on the job. According to HK contractors, their employees are seeing a drastic jump in people driving through active work sites and moving road closed signs in order to get through a closed work area.

“I know there’s a lot of frustration about the construction in town just because there are so many projects going on with all of the different companies, but our main concern is that people are disregarding the road closed signs and driving onto our active job sites,” says Dee Dee Tucker, a safety specialist for HK Contractors. “It’s a huge safety concern because they’re focused on the project and the construction, and then they have someone zipping through the job site, it makes it very dangerous.”

Issues with people moving or stealing construction signs have always been a problem, but Tucker says this year is the worst she’s seen yet.

“There is always somebody moving signs every season, but this season seems like it’s increased a lot. Especially on our 45th East project,” says Tucker. “It’s very frustrating, and it slows down the project. It puts all of our employees at risk, and it puts the drivers at risk too because there are so many obstacles on a job site and hazards that might not be on the open road.”

Many local contractors are having similar problems according to Tucker, so much so that law enforcement has become involved.

“We have asked (law enforcement) to come out a few times to help monitor the speeding in the work zone areas around construction and people going around our road closed signs,” says Tucker. “But they can only do something when they’re there. And they can’t catch everybody.”

Construction workers are also dealing with an increase in people moving the construction signs to other job sites where they don’t belong, causing more chaos and confusion in a construction season that seems busier than any other.

“We just ask that people leave our signs in place because they are protecting our family and friends who are working,” says Tucker. “It’s putting their lives at risk when people are moving those signs or misplacing them, it’s adding more confusion to other drivers in the community, and it’s slowing down the process altogether.”

Disregarding road signs and speeding through work zones is not only a danger to drivers but is also a danger to construction workers. Tucker says they want everyone to come home safe at the end of the day.

“We’re just asking that if you have to drive through it to get to their house, to slow down and use caution, and if you don’t live on that road, to avoid those areas,” says Tucker. “We’re trying to be preventative and not have any accidents.”

Smith says he understands the frustration with the construction in town but that it is necessary for the expanding growth of Idaho Falls.

“I know that construction is a hassle regardless of the location. I know that construction is difficult to deal with at times when you are on your way to work or going on vacation,” says Smith. “However the growth of this area will need to have construction upgrades to various roadways, sewers, fiber, waterlines, sidewalks, bike paths, crosswalks, and many other things that are necessary for a community that has seen a growth of population.”

If you’re thinking about stealing road signs, beware. Construction signs can be very expensive, and if you’re caught stealing signs that are worth more than $1,000, you could face a felony grand theft charge that carries a penalty of up to 14 years in prison.

Even if the value is under $1,000, you could still face a misdemeanor petty theft charge, which carries a penalty of up to 6 months in prison.

“People are just driving through and not even slowing down on our job sites,” says Tucker. “They’re putting our employees at risk.”