Vandals are taking aim at billboards and police fear someone will get hurt. Police have taken several reports of the signs being hit with bullets. Five incidents have been reported in the last six weeks and all are located around major expressways. Now, the sign company is fighting back.
Whistler Outdoor Advertising is doing some advertising of its own. One of its signs says 'You're On Camera'. It wants vandals to know they are being watched and eventually with the public's help, they will be caught.
Michael Joyce is the attorney for Whistler Outdoor Advertising.
"In this most recent vandalism, the shooter unloaded approximately nine bullets into the board," Joyce says.
Those bright new LED billboards are being hit one after another. Five incidents which involve three billboards -- two of which have been hit twice by a large caliber bullet.
There is concern the bullets could hit someone. It could be someone in a nearby hotel, an office complex or a person driving by. Cameras have been installed and new billboards have a clear message in the hope the vandalism will end.
"That shooter is on camera. Right now the films are being analyzed, they're looking to see if they can get some face recognition or some tag numbers," says Joyce.
Police confirm several reports have been filed and the matter is being investigated. If caught, the vandals could be charged with a felony.
"If the loss is going to be greater than 25-hundred dollars, you're looking at a felony and looking at loss to have to pay for the damage that you've done," says Tulsa Police Spokesperson Leland Ashley.
As for a motive, that is still unclear.
"I don't know if it's they don't like billboards, if they are personal grudges or if people are out for a joyride. I don't know what their motive is, but the issue is it needs to stop for the safety of the public before somebody gets hurt."
