Although they may seem like a creative decorating idea to some students, Department of Public Safety officials say there could be dangerous repercussions to stealing traffic signs for display in apartments or dorm rooms.

“There have been people prosecuted in the state of Iowa because they have pulled out a stop sign and someone dies,” said Loras Jaeger, director of DPS. “It can end up being a very dangerous situation.”

Jaeger said there haven’t been any road sign thefts recently, and it has been awhile since he has seen a sign in a student’s room.

“[Signs are] a fad like other things,” he said. “Some people think it is cool to do that type of stuff.”

Displaying stolen road signs is against the law and is punishable in court if the signs are found by a DPS officer or an Ames police officer.

“What we find is that when we’re in a room for some reason [such as] responding to a noise complaint or another thing, we find street signs in apartments or residence hall rooms,” Jaeger said. “We confiscate [the signs] because it’s illegal to have traffic control devices.”

Jaeger said officials are particularly concerned with stop signs, yield signs and other traffic control devices that are taken without authorization.

“You can’t steal other people’s property,” he said.

Charges vary according to whether offenders are caught with the sign or caught stealing the sign, Jaeger said.

“If you’re stealing the sign, you’re charged with theft,” he said. “If you’re caught with it, you could be charged with receiving and concealing stolen property.”

Jaeger said a receipt showing proof of purchase can prevent officials from confiscating a road sign. Some states and mail order catalogs sell road signs or replications.

“If you bought [the sign] legally from another state, keep the receipt so you can show an officer,” he said.

Ben Chamberlain, Knapp Hall director, said he has not seen any road signs in Knapp Hall this semester.

“I lived in the residence halls as an undergraduate [here] for four years, and I did see them [in rooms],” he said. “They were used as coffee tables or were hung on walls.”

Chamberlain said he would ask for a receipt if he saw a sign in a resident’s room. If he or she refused to remove it, Chamberlain said he would notify DPS of the situation.

“I’d hope they would take it down; the reasoning behind it is that it’s against the law, and we don’t want to break the law,” he said.

Chamberlain said stolen signs shouldn’t be taken lightly.

“To me, anything that could be property of a county or a state or if we have a reason to believe it’s stolen, it’s a concern because it costs those who pay taxes,” he said. “That’s why we enforce it.”

Chamberlain said he would ask students to think about their actions before they steal road signs.

“I ask people to be smart,” he said. “Think about things before you do them and what impact they will have on yourself and others.”