MOBILE, Ala. — Doorbell camera video from a midtown Mobile home shows a man pulling Doug Jones yard signs from in front of houses and loading them into a white SUV, and residents of the Leinkauf and Oakleigh neighborhoods say the political sign thefts have become a regular problem as the Nov. 3 election approaches.
The signs taken read “Doug for Alabama,” the slogan of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Doug Jones. In the footage, the man is seen taking signs from two different homes before driving away.
‘Sure enough, there’s a guy’
Elizabeth Shope was working from home on Pine Street on Thursday morning, Oct. 22, when her husband began calling her. He had left the gym and hurried home after seeing someone on the family’s doorbell camera, she said.
“Said he saw someone on our camera,” Shope said. “So I pulled up the clips, and sure enough, there’s a guy parked here in a white SUV.”
Shope said she had to look twice at what the camera recorded. According to her, the man walked up toward her door, where one of the family’s signs stood in the right of way, and took it. He then crossed the street and took three more signs, and climbed the front steps of another house to remove the signs there as well.
Her neighbor across the street told her he had lost three signs. Shope said other homes in nearby neighborhoods have also reported “Doug for Alabama” signs disappearing.
The man in the video has not been publicly identified. It was not clear Friday whether the thefts had been reported to Mobile police or whether any investigation was underway.
A message to whoever is responsible
Shope described the area as largely progressive and said she believes the person taking the signs is trying to provoke residents.
“We’re progressive here mostly. And I think they’re just trying to stir us up.”
She said her family plans to put new signs out soon. She also had words for the man in the video.
“I think it’s disrespectful. You obviously don’t want somebody coming up in your yard and taking your stuff. It’s just it’s at the bare minimum, rude. But, you know, find a better way to spend your time.”
Not the first complaint this campaign season
Missing yard signs have come up before in Alabama’s race for governor. In late September, Republican nominee Tommy Tuberville said during a radio appearance that his campaign’s signs were vanishing within 10 to 12 hours of being put up, and he blamed political opponents. He did not offer evidence of who was taking them.
At the time, party leaders in Mobile and Baldwin counties told South AL News they had not heard of signs being stolen locally. Mobile County Republican Party Chair Terry Lathan said she was not aware of Republican signs being removed in the county, though she called “sign wars” common during elections and “a stupid, futile effort.” Mobile County Democratic Party Chairman Ben Harris said he had not heard of any stolen signs either and that requests for Jones signs were coming in daily.
The governor’s race
Jones and Tuberville are competing to succeed Gov. Kay Ivey, who is term-limited. The two men have faced each other before: Tuberville, the former Auburn University football coach, unseated Jones in the 2020 U.S. Senate race. Jones had won the seat in a 2017 special election.
Both campaigns have leaned on yard signs as part of their statewide efforts. Tuberville said in September that his campaign had distributed between 75,000 and 100,000 signs. Campaign finance reports reviewed at the time showed the Jones campaign had paid at least $133,500 to sign companies, and his campaign said it was distributing thousands of signs a week.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
About Leinkauf and Oakleigh
The thefts happened in two of midtown Mobile’s best-known historic neighborhoods, where many homes sit close to the sidewalk and front-yard signs are easy to see from the street.
The Leinkauf Historic District, roughly bounded by Government, Eslava, Lamar and Monterey streets, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. It includes about 300 contributing buildings dating from the 19th and early 20th centuries, many in Late Victorian and revival styles.
The neighboring Oakleigh Garden Historic District, centered on Washington Square, was listed on the National Register in 1972 and later expanded. Its homes range from the 1820s to the 1940s and include Federal, Greek Revival and Craftsman styles.
What the law says about taking signs
Taking or damaging property that belongs to someone else can lead to criminal charges such as theft or criminal mischief, depending on the circumstances and the value involved. A yard sign may cost only a few dollars, so cases involving signs are usually handled as misdemeanors, although the number of signs taken can matter.
Placement can also play a role. Many cities regulate where temporary signs may go, and signs placed in public rights-of-way or on utility poles may be removed by government crews. Shope said at least one of her signs was in the right of way. That does not mean a private person is free to take it, and how such a case would be handled would be up to police and prosecutors.
What to do if your sign is taken
- Save the video. Download and keep any doorbell or security camera footage, noting the date and time.
- Write down details. Note the vehicle’s color, make and any visible tag information, along with how many signs were taken.
- Report it. Residents in the city can contact the Mobile Police Department. For non-emergencies, avoid calling 911.
- Don’t confront anyone. Let law enforcement handle it rather than approaching the person yourself.
- Check placement rules. Keep signs on your own property, out of the right of way, and follow city rules on size and location.
Voting information
Alabama voters can confirm their registration, find their polling place and check absentee ballot rules and deadlines through the Alabama Secretary of State’s office. Polls in Alabama are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, and voters must bring an acceptable photo ID.
Whatever their choice in the governor’s race, residents of the neighborhood say they simply want their signs left alone. Shope’s family, for its part, plans to have new ones in the yard soon.
