Rumors of brazen and bizarre campaign vandalism abound in Arapahoe County, where members of both political parties say their signs have been stolen, defaced and, in one foul case, wrapped around a half-eaten turkey carcass and stuffed in a mailbox.
Such capers are a hallmark of election season, but leaders of the county’s party committees are troubled by what they’re hearing as election enthusiasm intensifies.
There have been reports in recent weeks of signs disappearing, sometimes from entire neighborhoods. Others have been tagged with hateful graffiti. Vandals spray-painted a swastika on an Obama campaign office in Conifer. A bullet shattered the window of another in Denver.
And then there was the unconfirmed turkey high jinx in Littleton, in which a homeowner apparently found a torn up sign endorsing Carrie Warren-Gully, a candidate for the Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners, alongside the gnawed carcass in a mailbox, said John Buckley, chair of the Arapahoe Democrats.
“This is crossing a line,” he said. “As soon as you’ve opened a mailbox, you’ve committed a federal crime.”
Littleton police could not be reached for comment on that case, which county Republicans found just as vile.
“It sounds to me like someone has been watching zombie movies,” said Joy Hoffman, chair of the Arapahoe County Republicans. “That’s very childish and somewhat gross.”
Perhaps more troubling, she said, are the thefts of hundreds of campaign signs, sometimes from entire neighborhoods.
Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson said his office is investigating the thefts of least 200 signs supporting Rep. David Balmer — valued at about $2.50 each — which disappeared from neighborhoods off of Parker and Orchard roads about two weeks ago.
“More than 200 is a little unusual,” the sheriff said, adding that about a dozen signs for other candidates have been reported stolen around the county.
Other incidents have likely gone unreported to police, Buckley said. But even if they had, such crimes of opportunity are tricky to solve, Robinson said.
Cherry Hills Village police, for example, received two reports of missing signs on Oct. 17, the same day winds reached speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. A department spokeswoman said police are not sure whether a bandit or the breeze was to blame.
The symbolism of the turkey carcass was lost on Warren-Gully, who said her campaign brought it to her attention on Friday.
“It could be that someone found it in the trash, it could mean that this candidate is a real turkey, who knows,” she said. “When it gets to this level, I’m just concerned that our supporters don’t feel threatened.”
Sadie Gurman: 303-954-1661, sgurman@denverpost.com or
