A Bowling Green woman who reported her school levy “Vote No” signs stolen has thanked Bowling Green police for returning them.
“Hats off to the BG Police Department in quickly getting our “Vote No” signs back from the people who stole them,” Irene Hinesman wrote on Facebook.
The police appreciate the thanks, but said the signs were not “stolen.”
On Sunday, Hinesman reported that political signs she had placed in the empty lot at the northwest corner of Poe Road and Legacy had been stolen. She told police that she had been contacted by a friend who observed a sign being taken from that location in the Middleton Trace subdivision.
Police talked with the man, Mark E. Pendleton, who removed the sign from the vacant lot. Prior to taking the sign, Pendleton had contacted the property owner, Bob Maurer, who reportedly gave Pendleton permission to remove the sign, said Police Lt. Dan Mancuso.
However, the property is apparently owned by both Maurer and Devon Dauterman, the latter who reportedly gave Hinesman permission to put up the “Vote No” sign.
According to the police report, Pendleton returned the signs to Hinesman.
Hinesman’s post said she had videotape of a sign being taken and she had turned that over to prosecutors. However, she did not mention a video to police and told the officer at that point that she did not want to pursue charges.
