Election signs allegedly stolen in Stratford

An Elections Canada logo is shown on Tuesday, Aug 31, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

The Stratford Police Service is investigating multiple reports of stolen election signs.

Police said they were alerted to the thefts, from several locations throughout the city, on Monday. The signs are believed to have been taken sometime over the weekend.

Police said that, although the removal of political signs may not constitute the criminal offence of theft, anyone involved in the incidents could still face lesser charges.

“We encourage all community members to respect the electoral process and allow all individuals running for Parliament to advertise without interference, regardless of which political party is being represented,” police said in a news release.

According to Elections Canada, anyone who believes their sign was stolen should report the theft to police and send a complaint to the Commissioner of Canada Elections, which is responsible for investigating incident, such as the destruction of signs, under the Canada Election Act.