Political Yard Signs lead to Police Investigation in Milwaukee

A debate over political yard signs has sparked an 'Administrative Inquiry' inside the Milwaukee Police Department.

District 3 Alderman Nik Kovac is accused of stealing an opponents yard sign from a Riverwest lawn, an act he doesn't deny. It happened Sunday morning, when Kovac says he noticed challenger Shannan Hayden's sign in a yard he thought endorsed him.

"The resident told me emphatically I'm supporting you, I'm not supporting her, and can you bring me a sign?" says Kovac. "I assumed that meant he wanted my sign and not hers."

Replacing Hayden's sign with his own, he placed her sign inside his car. Hayden's husband, a Sergeant with the police department, noticed the act from a nearby convenience store.

      "What he did was a criminal act, and he should be fully aware," says challenger Shannan Hayden. "He basically took away the voices of all my supporters."

But Kovac says Hayden's husband should have never approached the resident regarding campaign items while in uniform. 

      "I feel very bad that a police officer in uniform placed him in that situation," says Kovac. "I thought it was inappropriate conduct for a city employee. I immediately called the police department and reported it." 

That's where both sides seem to agree, both calling for an investigation against the other. 

Milwaukee Police released the following to CBS58: "MPD is aware of this situation and is conducting an administrative inquiry."

Hayden's husband declined to comment, citing his affiliation with the PD.