Tories yank '24 hour surveillance' stickers on signs in Harper's Calgary riding

The local campaign in Stephen Harper's Calgary riding was told to removeseveral "24-hour surveillance" stickers fromthe Conservative leader'selection signs, after a member of theteam putthem up in an attempt tocurbvandalism.

The stickers started poppingupon severalcampaign signs in Harper'sCalgary Heritage riding a few days ago.The small, white-and-blackstickers included a graphicof a surveillance cameraandthe text "24 hoursurveillance," giving the impression the signswereconstantly being monitored.

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Conservative Party spokesman Kory Teneyckeconfirmed to CBC News on Tuesday evening that the surveillance stickers were put up by a member ofHarper's local campaign.

"It was someone with the local campaign who did that and [the stickers have] subsequently been removed," he said.

"I think it was a well-intentioned thing by someone, but obviously not something that the campaign sanctions."

Teneyckesaid he did not know how many stickers were put up.A CBC News video producer spotted several of the signs withstickers in aneighbourhoodnear Harper's constituency office on Monday afternoon.

While the producer was filming the signs, a marked Conservative vehicle pulled up. Aman got out of the vehicle andstarted scrapingthe surveillance stickers off with a screwdriver. The man did not want to identify himself.

Teneycke saidthe national Conservative campaign teamtold the local campaign workers to remove the stickers after CBC News asked about them on Monday.Multiple calls and messages left withHarper's Calgaryconstituency office have not beenanswered.

A staffer withthe Conservative Party's media line initially told CBC News on Monday thatto her knowledgethe stickers had been put up at only one home.The staffer explained that a homeownerput up the warning after an instance of vandalism.

When CBC News explained that the stickers had popped up in otherlocations, the staffer said she didn't believe that was true and thatto her knowledgethey had been placed at only one home.

Vandalism a problem

Local campaigns have been struggling with how to handle vandalism since signs went up in August.

Many election signs have been vandalized, destroyed or gone completelymissing in different parts of the country. Signs are acostly part of local campaigns and can be expensive to replace.

Yukon Conservative candidate Ryan Leefdecided to take matters into his own handsandmade a citizen's arrest ofa woman he caught vandalizing one of his signs last month. The woman claimedLeefcame out of the trees in camouflageand handcuffed her. Leef saidhe had been in the woods installing a camera to catch vandals.

CBC News spoke to a Calgary homeowner who had several Conservativesigns on his propertyvandalized. He didn't want to identify himself, butsaid the surveillance sticker suddenly appeared on his sign after it was damaged.

Surveillance stickers removed from Harper signs

9 years ago

Duration 0:28

Sign owner complains many of his signs have been vandalized over the last month. Calgary Conservative workers removed stickers affixed to campaign signs that were used to deter vandalism

"I think that's only reasonable. If people are in the area that want to damage our signs the signs should be protected. Especially when they go right on my private property and remove signs. I don't think that's correct."

Photos of the surveillancestickershave beencirculating on social media, where people have been debating whether or not cameras were watching the signs.Teneyckesaid there are no cameras.

"My understanding is there was actually no surveillance or anything, it was just like some sort of placebo."

He saidsign vandalism has been a problem in every riding this election.

"It's against the law and it's also, you know, it's more than just against the law, it's counter to the very Canadian principles of civil elections."