The Sundre RCMP detachment’s corporal did not express any serious concerns in the wake of NDP elections signs in town that were vandalized with hateful messages.
There were two occurrences reported, said Cpl. Joe Mandel, adding the second complaint was regarding the same signs.
The vandalized signs were discovered on Highway 27 along the sidewalk on the east side of the Red Deer River bridge. One had “death to Notley” spray-painted on it, while NDP candidate Jeff Ible’s signs also had “death” graffitied on them.
The signs were removed and there are no suspects or police investigations ongoing in the matter, he said, adding the location was in an area with no residences and no witnesses.
Because the incident appeared to be isolated, the corporal said he was not particularly worried about a wider-spread problem.
However, had there been multiple signs targeted throughout the area with similar messaging, the corporal said he would have been concerned.
“But in this instance it’s very isolated.”
With recent media coverage of similar occurrences in places like Red Deer, the officer speculated on the possibility that what happened in Sundre was a one-off copycat incident.
“Whoever did it should spend more time doing something more constructive as a bit of time was used to deface the signs. The signs were probably removed, defaced at another location and then put up at the location they were found,” he said.
The riding’s re-elected UCP MLA Jason Nixon said any time signs are damaged or defaced during an election — which happens in all campaigns — is frustrating and unfair to hard-working volunteers who are exercising their democratic right to express their message.
Tearing down signs is one thing. Hateful and violent death threats are another, and Nixon said about the signs vandalized in Sundre: “The things that were written on those signs were disgusting. I condemn that type of behaviour. It’s unfortunate that people would choose to express themselves that way. It’s completely unacceptable.”
