Seward police seek tips after political signs destroyed near Tony's Bar

The Seward Police Department is asking for the public's help finding whoever destroyed political signs across the street from Tony's Bar overnight Wednesday, days before the Nov. 3 general election.

The signs were destroyed between 4:30 pm Wednesday and 8:30 am Thursday, police said in a Facebook post Thursday evening.

A photo with the post shows broken signs scattered on a gravel lot in front of a building with a mural. Among them are signs for Nick Begich and Dan Sullivan, one reading "Yes! End ranked choice voting" and pieces of at least one sign for governor.

Before that, police said, someone defaced a political sign across from the old Terry's Tire shop on Third Avenue. Police are treating both as criminal mischief and property damage cases.

"As a side note we are better than this as a community," the department wrote.

The same week in Wasilla, someone took a political sign from a state right-of-way, but its owner had hidden a tracking device on it. Troopers used the tracker to find the sign and return it, and referred charges to the Alaska Department of Law for review.

Anyone with information about the Seward cases can call police at 907-224-3338 and ask for Officer Morgan or Officer Messmer.