‘Stop’
signs
stolen
By CARL E. HARTDEGEN
Staff Writer
WESTFIELD – City police have been detailed recently to monitor the intersection of Root and North roads in an effort to educate the public about two new stop signs recently erected on North Road but that duty had to be suspended.
The signs were stolen Thursday night.
Officer John Parrish reported at 1:53 a.m. Friday that the two signs were missing and an examination revealed that holes had been excavated around the signs posts so they could be removed.
The police dispatcher noted that the signs had last been monitored by Officer David Racicot at 5:51 p.m. Thursday.
The signs were erected after a resident came to the September, 2011, meeting of the Traffic Commission to ask that the intersection be changed to a four-way stop intersection, because of safety concerns at the busy intersection.
Police Chief John Camerota, the chair of the Traffic Commission, said “We went up and took a look at it and we agreed it was dangerous” because the intersection is off set, making it hard for operators approaching the intersection from the north to see other approaching vehicles.
The commission voted to request the City Council make a change to the city ordinances to allow for a four-way stop at the intersection and the council acted in early December to approve the change.
Since the signs were erected Feb. 14, police officers have been detailed to monitor the intersection, not to issue tickets but to educate motorists who have long been accustomed to driving on North Road through the intersection without stopping.
But, somebody who presumably prefers not to stop, removed both of the North Road stop signs Thursday night.
However, his effort is doomed to fail as Department of Public Works employees have an ample supply of the signs.
James Mulvenna, the director of the DPW and a member of the Traffic Commission, said Friday morning that the signs would be replaced promptly.
“I believe they’re up already” he said.
Carl E. Hartdegen can be reached at [email protected]
