Somebody is stealing welcome road signs in Sliač, central Slovakia. (source: SME - Jozef Jakubčo)
Sliač, a spa town in the heart of Slovakia that became notorious last year after it held a local referendum on a US base, has been dealing with an unusual problem for more than a year, and some fear that it might not be over.
Somebody is stealing welcome road signs and coats of arms at night, the Pravda daily writes. Nobody knows who runs off with them, but mayor Ľubica Balgová suspects soldiers from the local military air base.
“This happens on a regular basis so I think it has to do with the departure of military missions,” the mayor opines. “It always happens during the rotation of individual groups.”
Maybe they take them as a souvenir, Balgová uttered.
Six road signs and coats of arms have been stolen. The last one was carried off in early July.
Mayor demands decent approach
The mayor backs her version with the fact that similar road signs have never been stolen from the area near the military base, which is watched by the CCTV system. As she told the daily, she spoke with an employee from the base, passing on information to his colleagues that if they want a road sign souvenir, they should come to Sliač Town Hall.
“In case of interest, we will certainly accommodate them,” she said. “After all, our emblem would present us this way even abroad.”
A few weeks ago, a group of German soldiers showed up at the town hall to request a bigger ‘Sliač’ magnet. “I appreciate the fact that they came and asked,” the mayor continued, adding that this is a decent approach.
One-sided claim
However, the Slovak Defence Ministry and the command of the NATO Multinational Battle Group called this a one-sided claim.
Regardless, Balgová is hoping that nobody will be tempted to wander off with the newly installed signs in Sliač.
“We’ll see how it goes,” she smiled.
