Since the Army National Guard installed its Kenai Readiness Center sign on South Forest Drive last winter, the metal letters have been slowly disappearing due to thefts.
Sergeant First Class Albert Burns said he never expected that kind of behavior just feet away from the intersection of the busy residential street and the Kenai Spur Highway.
Burns: “I’m under the impression it’s teenagers, stealing our letters. And I have facilities right now, which is in charge of the facility of the armory, are working on new letters and another way to secure them to the sign so that the kids cannot steal them.”
The letters are currently secured to the sign with threaded rebar, so the culprits are able to unscrew the pieces.
We asked if the armory is attempting to press charges.
Burns: “There could be if we caught somebody but I don’t know how we’d track them down unless they flaunted it on Facebook or something like that, there’s no way to really catch them. It’s one of those things where, ‘Okay, they’re gone, now what?'”
Burns said the letters for the sign could be ready in the next month or two. He did not know how much the letters will cost.