Fed-Up NY Man Sets Up Hidden Camera to Find Out Who Was Repeatedly Stealing His Pro-Gun Sign ...

Busted, that cop is screwed. Trespassing and multiple thefts.

Not true. What makes you think that police (those ever vigilant protectors of our God given rights) have to follow laws like the rest of us do?

The Somers code on temporary signs is as follows:

In residence districts, the following signs are hereby authorized:
A. One residence business or professional sign not exceeding 150 square inches for each residence.

B. One “for sale” or one “to let” sign not exceeding two feet by two and one-half feet, set back at least 20 feet from the street line in a Residence R80 District or not exceeding two feet by two feet, set back at least 15 feet from the street line in any Residence R40 District or not exceeding one and one-half feet by two feet, set back at least 10 feet from the street line in any Residence R10 District.

C. In multifamily residence developments, one sign at each access drive, not exceeding 20 square feet in area or 10 feet in any one dimension. Small, nonilluminated signs not exceeding 1 1/2 square feet in area which are necessary for the direction, safety and convenience of the public shall be permitted. No sign shall be placed in such a way as to obstruct proper sight distance or otherwise interfere with pedestrian or traffic flow.

Can there be a better example of the danger to the First Amendment once the Second has been Infringed upon?:

September 23, 2013

In New York State, the battle over the NY SAFE Act (the legislation rushed through the legislature without being read in the immediate wake of the Sandy Hook shootings and bans almost all modern firearms) is far from over. While the legislature seems happy with its decision to pass nonsensical legislation designed solely to make firearms ownership and self defense as difficult and ineffective as possible, the people in upstate New York are livid. Residents have started posting signs advocating for the repeal of the SAFE Act, an act protected by the first amendment. But the Somers, New York police department seems dead set on infringing on that right as well.

One New York resident had posted such a sign in his yard, advocating for the repeal of the SAFE Act, and noticed that at some point in the day the sign had disappeared. He believed it to be his neighbor, who didn’t approve of the sign. So when he put up another sign with the same message, he also attached a trail camera to a nearby tree (designed to take pictures of deer and other animals when triggered by movement). Instead of catching his neighbor, he caught a series of images of his own local police department removing his sign from his front lawn.

The person whose sign was removed by the police is in the process of contacting a lawyer to file a suit against the city. According to the comment thread, there’s some question about whether the placement of the sign violates a city ordinance, and it is believed that the neighbor has been calling the local police department to report the sign owner and demand that it be taken down.

I have tried to contact the Somers police department, but they have not responded.

I am fairly sure the Policeman is doing it wrong.

Follow my logic.

If the Homeowner was violating an ordinance then he would either be notified by the police or the local government in writing. If he continued to violate the ordinance then he would be issued a ticket.

Now being the story makes no mention of any legal action by the local government why would the cop take the sign down repeatedly?

Apparently he feels he has a legal right to do so and as such then the reason he is taking down the sign is due to a law/ordinance being broken. If so then a fine is in order.

Yet no fine is mentioned in the story and the home owner has apparently NOT been notified the government is taking down the sign.

You may be correct. ......or: **it is believed that the neighbor has been calling the local police department to report the sign owner and demand that it be taken down.**

An *anti* neighbor turns him in...not that *that* is an excuse. Yet, someone, somewhere may well have given the *order* for the cop to act.

I’m sure the police *internal affairs* will investigate and conclude the property owner is well within his rights....///sarc

[Which is why WTSHTF ...you’re on your own folks]

Guess these creeps like playing with fire....

"Yet, someone, somewhere may well have given the *order* for the cop to act."

Yeah, you are spot on! Because its the action of the cop that is troubling. There may well be an ordinance the citizen is violating BUT if so they have went about enforcing it all wrong. Someone jumped the gun and did things out of sequence (If there is indeed a code violation with the sign)

I am willing to bet the local authorities know they are on shaky ground and don't want any more of a paper trail.

I think they will either double down and issue a fine AFTER the fact. Or run and hide an hope it all goes away.

http://www.nyfirearms.com/forums/laws-politics/60634-so-remember-my-repeal-safe-act-sign-issue.html

From the NYFirearms forum: [I am assuming this is the property owner writing:]

**For those who don’t, I sent an extra $20 donation to scopeny and they give you a repeal the safe act sign... I put it up and one scumbag neighbor called the town building inspector to complain. I got a letter for being in violation of a town code. As per advice on this forum from nyshooter I could fight it on grounds of my 1st amendment rights... so I called the town BI and after telling him ill fight it in court he asked what kind of sign it was so I said a pro2a sign so he said leave it up. A week or so later he called me back because the **** nrighbor cried again and I said that I’m leaving it up. A day or so later my sign went missing (stolen, and probably by the *******s). So I wanted to buy a trail cam first so I could catch the thief and press charges(can’t justify spending the money on one yet) before putting up another sign but I decided to make a sign of my own with plywood and I’m going to drive a couple 2x4 stakes in the ground so someone would have to really work to remove it.. here is a picture of the sign... tomorrow ill get a pic of it installed. Btw the stencils took quite a while to make and I rushed the paint work because I didn’t want to wait for one side to dry filly before doing the back side (both sides are the same).20130906_182544.jpg**

_________________________________________

It’s kinda cool forum members are offering to help the property owner with expenses of the camera.

Looks like an old overweight donut connoisseur.

His BMI is high enough he'll probably have to retire with a disability claim.

If the building inspector said to remove the sign, I would ask him/her for the ordinance which prohibits ANY signs. Then, I would ask the city to provide the ordinance that also prohibits such signs. There has to be something in writing to support either the 2nd Amendment supporter or the city, it can’t be both ways.

Keep eyes peeled for campaign signs in violation of this rule as November approaches.

Even if it were in violation of a town ordinance, I would question the actions of a uniformed police officer to remove this sign.

Does Somers PD also pick up old sofas?

LOL...a cop won’t even move a piece of debris from a roadway. He’ll call a road crew first. Union rules, yaknow.

If the property owner has a dog, I’d keep it locked up in the house...not that that is a perfect prevention. ;(

Yeah,
Round up the usual suspects.

Unbelievable, according to the following article it is not illegal to take signs in Somers, NY. The police will say it was too close to the road and therefore on public property

http://www.planputnam.org/ntm/2008/11/update-sign-theft-legal-in-somers-local-cops-tell-degnan/

I’m from that area and you are pretty much correct. If the sign is in violation of any ordinance he would have been warned most likely by the local building department to remove it. If he failed to comply he would have been issued a summons for the violation and ordered to remove it by a local judge hearing the case. If he failed to comply to the court order he would be arrested. Removal of the sign is not a police matter. The highway department would probably do the job. Looks like some personal vendetta against this property owner by this officer or the police.

I believe the word you are looking for is inconceivable. And I don’t think that the word means what you think it means...

There are more pictures of this cop at the Blaze link. Anybody from Somers, NY know this guy? Put his name out there!

Great find Polstar.... especially for anyone wondering how corrupt the cops can be.

They are judge, jury and medically trained. Thank goodness, we have nothing to worry about. ///sarc

Broad Daylight?

0bamaite with big ones.

Good thing his dog was constrained.