For years, a street sign in Riverview has been a hot target for theft and it's costing taxpayers a lot of green.
According to Hillsborough County officials, the street sign for Stoner Road is stolen at least a half-dozen times a year.
It was recently taken at the intersection of McMullen Loop.
"The cost of materials and labor to replace street name signs is about $300, so it costs +/- $1,800 annually to replace the missing signs. As is protocol when signs are stolen more than once, we have taken extra measures to make signs more difficult to remove from the ground," said Rob Suess, Director of Transportation Management Division.
Neighbors say the pot-motivated prank has been going on for years and it needs to stop.
"It’s not funny, it’s not a joke," said Ashley Boothe. "It gets confusing. I always have to meet someone right along Stoner Road to try to help them figure out where we are."
County workers posted another Stoner Road street sign high up on a utility pole, out of reach for most people looking for a quick theft.
Craig Post, who has lived near Stoner Road for three decades, says an easy solution is to do the same at the McMullen Loop intersection.
"Fix it," said Post. "Put something permanent up there that they can’t get to, like the one down there and put an end to it once and for all."
Stealing a street sign in Florida amounts to a third-degree grand theft charge.
If convicted, the crime carries a maximum of five years in jail and a $5,000 fine.
