Law enforcement appreciation billboard vandalized

A billboard erected by community members and businesses last October to honor and thank local law enforcement for their efforts was vandalized this week with spray paint.

While the criminal act was discouraging for those involved in putting it up, plans are already being worked out to replace it with a new billboard, and an outpouring of support by community members could see a second similar billboard put up in the Yuba-sutter area.

“It's definitely disheartening, but I would say that we plan to match the hate with bigger love, that's essentially my mindset on this,” said Cameron David Elkins, who came up with the idea to work with local organizations and businesses to erect the billboard as a way to show respect for law enforcement. “I'm going to be reaching out to the individual businesses and community members represented on it and we will be putting a plan in place to either clean it or replace the vinyl, but we may also use this as a sort of springboard to do another billboard in the area.”

Elkins partnered with Back the

Badge Yuba-sutter – a nonprofit organization created to support local law enforcement officers injured in the line of duty, as well as their families – in reaching out to community members and businesses interested in supporting the effort financially. They found 16 different businesses and families that were willing to donate $500 each to cover the costs of having the billboard up for at least six months – the names of those involved are printed at the bottom of the sign.

The sign, which is located at the base of the new Fifth Street Bridge in Yuba City, has been up since Oct. 23, 2020.

Elkins was first notified of the graffiti Tuesday afternoon. The message is mostly unreadable, but he doesn't

believe it was random as there are other boards near it that weren't touched. He posted a picture of the vandalism to social media, which drew a few hundred community members' comments or interaction with the post.

Five of the 12 businesses included on the billboard have already reached out to inquire how they can help to correct the issue as quickly as possible. The company that owns the billboard has also agreed to split some of the cost to replace the vinyl.

“(The response so far) is so very Yuba-sutter of them, it's indicative of how we look out for one another,” Elkins said. “Again, there is a lot of good that comes with the bad. As discouraging as it is to have someone climb up on the billboard and vandalize it, the response has been incredible.”

Organizers are currently working on a timeline as to when the current billboard will be cleaned or replaced. With even more businesses reaching out wanting to get involved, Elkins said it's likely they will have enough to put up a second billboard in the coming months.

“There's only one appropriate response to this, and that is with more love,” he said. “That's where my heart is at. Now it becomes, how quickly can we rally as a community to do it.”