Measure to Deter Vandalism
of County and Municipal Property Heads to House
The State Senate unanimously passed
legislation Thursday to help save Oklahoma's counties
and municipalities thousands of dollars that are
lost each year through the vandalism of signs
and other property. Senate Bill 348, by Sen. David
Myers, would allow counties and municipalities
to offer higher rewards for information leading
to the arrest and conviction of individuals for
such crimes.
"Our counties and cities spend thousands
of dollars each year replacing and repairing vandalized
signs and other property. This measure will give
them the tools they need to help deter these crimes,
which will not only save taxpayers money but will
help prevent potentially deadly accidents,"
said Myers, R-Ponca City.
County commissioner boards are authorized under
current state law to offer and pay up to $100
as a reward for the arrest and conviction, or
for evidence leading to the arrest and conviction
of any person stealing or defacing county road
signs. SB 348 would add all other county property
to the list and would also increase the allowed
reward amount to $1,000. County commissioner boards
would also be allowed to have up to $2,000 in
their reward funds rather than $500.
The measure was requested by the Oklahoma Association
of County Commissioners, but after learning of
the bill various municipalities asked that for
language to help them as well. Therefore, SB 348
also would create a new law authorizing municipalities
to offer the same rewards as counties for evidence
and conviction of vandalism if they wanted.
"Our counties and cities have enough on their
plates without dealing with these types of crimes.
Unfortunately, we're not just dealing with juvenile
acts like spray painted signs, but potentially
deadly crimes such as stop signs being removed
from intersections and county vehicles having
their brakes tampered with," said Myers.
"County officials feel that offering higher
rewards will encourage increased levels of community
awareness and people will feel more inclined to
come forward about possible crimes."
SB 348 now goes to the House for further consideration.
For more information contact:
Sen. Myers' Office: 405-521-5628