A vandalism spree last Friday has stirred up controversy in Albertville after some municipal election candidates believe they were targeted.
Albertville Police chief J.T. Cartee posted a statement Tuesday on social media saying his officers were investigating "multiple acts of vandalism" that occurred on and around Walnut Street. The post stated that mailboxes, street signs and stop signs were damaged and that several campaign signs were destroyed or stolen.
Justin Ennis, who is running for Albertville mayor against incumbent Tracy Honea, said the vandals stole several of his signs from the neighborhood, as well as one from his own front yard, which he captured on surveillance video.
Ennis told 1819 News that he felt "for sure" that the vandals targeted his and other municipal challengers' signs.
"My incumbent's [signs] were left alone all over the same neighborhood," he said.
Bonnie Callahan, who is running for City Council Place 2 against incumbent Jill Oakley, said she, too, felt targeted when roughly $600-worth of her campaign signs were stolen or damaged.
"All my large signs on that side of town and in residential yards sporadically all taken," Callahan said. "Yes, other candidates' signs were taken, but they were in the same yard as mine… I don't want to focus on it because it's to be expected when a monopoly [is] challenged. And a lot of people don't have good sense anymore."
Chief Cartee stated in his post that both incumbents and challengers had their signs stolen or damaged. He told 1819 News that he did not, at this time, believe the vandalism was politically motivated.
Honea told 1819 News that he had several signs stolen, which were later found discarded on various roadsides.
Oakley said she had two large signs that needed to be repaired and several smaller yard signs that had been stolen.
"All of us candidates suffered loss in this vandalism, and I don't feel anyone in particular was targeted," she said. "We all know and respect the cost and the efforts of anyone, candidate or elected official, in running a campaign and the cost of destroying city property and personal property as well."
No suspects have been announced or arrests made so far in connection with the vandalism.
On a related note, Cartee warned candidates not to place materials in people's mailboxes, saying his office had received several complaints.
"We would like to caution the candidates and others against doing this, as it is a violation of Federal Code 18 U.S.C. 1725, which prohibits the placement of unstamped materials into mail receptacles," he said.
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