Southport has waged a battle against disappearing street signs for many years. Some signs, like the ones for Cozy Harbor or Christmas Cove, disappear quite often.

“The sign for Dogfish Head Road probably goes missing the most,” said Selectman Smith Climo.

At the Aug. 9 selectmen’s meeting, there was a discussion about the disappearance of the sign for Labrador Road. Thefts are much more frequent in the summer.

“I just replaced it last year,” said Dalton Tibbetts of Southport Public Works. “I saw it up all winter when I was plowing and now it’s gone. You can see where they dug down trying to get it but then they gave up and just snapped it off.”

Whenever a sign is stolen, it costs the town around $40 to replace it. It’s important that signs be replaced so services like ambulances and the fire department can find roads quickly in an emergency.

When asked if the selectmen had considered any measures to reduce theft, Gerry Gamage said that while ideas had been thrown around, none were particularly practical.

“The sign for my road, Decker Hill, was stolen once,” said Selectman Mary Lou Koskela. “I mean, really? Who steals one for Decker Hill?”

“Enough alcohol will make anything look attractive,” quipped Climo, to general laughter.

“It’s a constant battle in the summertime,” Tibbetts said.