Five pedestrian crosswalk signs stolen from Troy University have been recovered.

In the month following the beginning of the Fall semester, six signs worth hundreds of dollars were removed from campus.

But, according to Troy University Police Chief John McCall, five of those were found after an article appeared in The Messenger noting that thieves would be charged with a felony for taking the signs.

“I believe somebody realized they didn’t need to be caught with those signs,” McCall said.

McCall said stealing signs might have seemed like a prank, but it put pedestrians in harms way and was very dangerous.

One of the signs was found on campus and four others were spotted by a man in Banks. The man found the signs in a ditch off of a dirt road and carried them to the police station in Troy.

Police are utilizing a new cable lock system to try and deter would-be thieves from taking the signs again. McCall also said there now also cameras now in place to monitor the signs.

The sign thefts this semester are not the first. McCall said it’s been a problem since the smaller pedestrian signs were put in place last year in an effort to beautify the campus. The signs cost about $300 each.

The Troy University Police Department is interested in recovering other stolen signs. People can call the main police line at 670-3215, or the Secret Witness line at 670-5814.