Despite the presidential election having passed, reports of stolen or damaged political lawn signs appear to be continuing in some areas of Franklin County.

After a rash of incidents on Montague and Old Wendell roads, Shutesbury Police Chief Kristin Burgess took to the neighborhood-focused social media platform Nextdoor to call for unity and civility.

“What would make me the happiest is to know there are people who will not get hardened by mean and hateful acts, but rather increase kindness tenfold in our little beautiful town of Shutesbury and beyond,” she wrote. “Let’s continue to be good to each other, check in on each other, take care of our elders, help our kids, volunteer somewhere, beautify something, give a coupon for a coffee to the town plow person or at the dump, leave a thank you in your mailbox for the post woman, buy a book for the elementary school library … or one of a thousand other little acts of kindness. Don’t let the haters win.”

Burgess said in an interview that, in Shutesbury, the calls over stolen or defaced signs seem to have subsided since the Nov. 5 election. She said signs promoting President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris were tampered with.

“Once it was [first] reported it seemed to be going for the three weeks before the election,” Burgess recounted.

One Franklin County resident who can say an election’s passing does not eliminate the potential for theft is Greenfield resident Danielle Letourneau, who on Tuesday called the Greenfield Police Department to report that two Harris signs were stolen off her front lawn.

“It just concerned me that someone came on my property while I was at work,” she said. “It just gives me pause about the neighborhood.”

She mentioned she checked with her family and fellow Greenfield Democratic Town Committee members to ensure they did not collect the signs without her knowing. Letourneau also said a neighbor at the end of her street reported a stolen sign, too.

“It’s just childish. Let people have their things,” she said. “Don’t be sore winners.”

Christopher Williams, Montague’s police chief, said at least a handful of Harris signs were reported stolen or vandalized in the weeks leading up to the election. Some residents reported their signs were spray-painted, while one woman noticed hers were missing only to find them in a nearby sand pit. Williams mentioned it has never been uncommon for political signs to be tampered with but there has been a noticeable increase in the problem this year.

Elsewhere in the county, Scott Minckler, chief of the Leverett Police Department, which also provides policing services for Wendell, said he had received one report of two signs damaged in Leverett, but no such reports in Wendell. Sunderland Police Chief Erik Demetropoulos said his town got two reports of stolen or missing campaign signs. Conway Police Chief Donald Bates said his town has received no reports of this type.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.