BERLIN TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- After a snowy Monday morning, the road crews in one part of Wayne County have more on their mind than just getting the roads cleared.
"It takes us away from when we could be doing some real road work," said Berlin Township Supervisor Robert Mahon.
Officials say it is not a new problem, but just in the last week, there have been quite a few reports of missing street signs from neighborhoods all over Berlin Township near Honesdale.
"We can put them up, within a day or two, they might disappear again. The issue is, what do you do or what can we do?" asked Berlin Township Supervisor Charlie Gries.
Most of what goes missing is road signs, but a few stop signs have also been stolen. Township officials fear someone not familiar with the area will not know how to navigate tricky intersections on the rural roads of Wayne County.
"It's a safety issue. It makes me feel terrible because it's a lot of work for us and a big expensive for the township also," Mahon said.
One neighbor who lives in the area that has been targeted is also a volunteer firefighter, so to him, this is even more concerning.
"We need to know exactly where the emergency is. Minus the road signs that are missing or not there, we could go by the residence, and that's going to be a matter of life and death, time-wise too," said Kipp Welsh.
Township officials say because the signs are made of plastic, not metal, they do not believe anyone is stealing them to make money, more so just as a prank.
"We've taken some measures as far as greasing, putting grease on the signs and posts. It might deter them a little bit, but if a person wants something. They're going to get it," Gries said.
Township officials say they are exploring other options until the vandals are caught.