11 Steelers banners stolen from Pittsburgh Public Works garage
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Eleven of the Steelers victory parade banners commissioned by the city of Pittsburgh and sold to the public last week are missing and presumed stolen from a Public Works Department building, that department's director confirmed today.
Yesterday the city had 13 banners in a caged-off storage area in its building at 611 Second Ave., and there are now just two, said Director Guy Costa.
"We notified the police," he said. "We consider this a burglary. That's a serious crime."
He said the banners were kept in an area accessible only to department employees and a cleaning contractor. A key fob system allows the department to track entries to the building, and Mr. Costa said police will be interviewing everyone who had access to the storage area.
"I am very disappointed," Mr. Costa said. "This is an embarrassment to the Department of Public Works, and I just hope that we find the person or persons responsible.
"We have a lot of good employees here, and we do a very good job."
The city had 50 banners printed by Seiferth Signs for $95 each. Five were stolen from along the Super Bowl XLIII victory parade route on Feb. 3. The remaining 45 were offered to the public for $150 each, reflecting the printing costs and the labor involved in putting them up and taking them down. Buyers for all of the banners emerged quickly, but as of yesterday some had still not picked up their mementos, and a few had called in to say they changed their minds.
Mr. Costa said that none of those who reserved a banner, and still want it, will be denied. If the city has to make a few new banners, it will do so, he said, adding that today is the deadline for buyers to report to 611 Second Ave., pay, and get their keepsake.
First Published March 13, 2009 12:46 pm
