Poached plaques, lost logos
<p>Holes in the brick mark the place where a college logo emblem was stolen from one of the entry points to the North Idaho College, University of Idaho extension, and Lewis Clark State College extension campuses in Coeur d’Alene. Four emblems, valued at $3,900 were taken earlier this month.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - University of Idaho or Lewis-Clark State College fans looking to decorate their game room or man cave?
Or yet another thief looking to melt down metal for quick cash?
Why anyone would be brazen enough to pry four UI and LCSC metal logos off three recently-completed entrance monuments to Coeur d'Alene's education corridor and North Idaho College along busy Northwest Boulevard is perplexing.
But the bigger question police are looking into is whether the theft and vandalism case is tied to the case involving the theft of five metal logos of each branch of the military from a monument in Post Falls' Q'emiln Park.
"It's wrong on so many levels," NIC Security Supervisor Pat Murray said of the crimes.
Both incidents occurred around the same time two weeks ago, and it appears a tool was used to pry the metal off the monuments in both cases. The emblems in Coeur d'Alene were attached with bolts, while the ones in Post Falls used liquid nails.
"We will be exchanging notes with Coeur d'Alene police," Post Falls police Capt. Greg McLean said.
Murray estimated the total cost to replace the logos in Coeur d'Alene at $3,900. In addition to the logo thefts, bricks were damaged on one of the monuments. On one of the logos, the "V" in Vandals was left behind.
North Idaho College's logo on the monuments was not stolen.
Coeur d'Alene police Sgt. Christie Wood, who is also an NIC board member, said she is "so disappointed" over the Coeur d'Alene crime.
"We worked so hard at NIC to get the signage designed and installed," Wood said. "We also worked with our partners at U of I and LCSC to make sure we represented their logos as well.
"Because they were college logos it is possible they were taken by vandals who wanted a souvenir."
The aluminum college logos are an "I" (for Idaho) with "Vandals" across the front, and interlocking "LC" (for Lewis-Clark). Two UI logos were stolen along with two LC logos.
No suspects have been identified in either case and investigators are searching to see if there are any links between the two.
"Since both of them happened in the short span of time, it makes you wonder," Murray said.
The military logos, which Post Falls officials believe are either aluminum or brass, are 2 inches thick and 15 inches in diameter. Three anonymous individuals have offered cash rewards totaling $1,500 leading to the conviction of the suspect(s). Crime Stoppers of the Inland Northwest is offering an additional reward. The agency does not list the reward amount.
Those with information on the Post Falls case should contact police at 773-3517 and on the Coeur d'Alene case 769-2320.