Local Police Advise Residents How To Protect Their Flags Amid Rising Thefts
Flag Day is Monday, and it's on June 14th that we honor the US Flag and all that helped to create it and for everything that it stands for. One Southern Minnesota community's police department is giving advice to residents as to how they can keep their US flag safe amid rising flag thefts in the community. Le Sueur Police posted the tips and notice of flag thefts on social media this morning.
The Le Sueur Police Department has taken multiple reports of stolen US Flags from flag poles in yards of private residences as well as businesses. If you have a US Flag displayed please be extra vigilant, keep the area covered by a camera if possible, and consider removing the flag during overnight hours. As always we encourage citizens to report any suspicious activity they may observe to the police department immediately.
It's unclear as to how many flags have been stolen recently in Le Sueur, but it was enough that the police decided to post about it. One commenter stated that the local VFW was willing to replace the stolen flags at no cost to those who were victims of the flag theft.
While there is a US Flag Code, it is left up to individual states as to what level of a crime, if any, would be imposed for doing certain things with the US Flag. Minnesota Statute 609.40 states that anyone who does the following is considered guilty of a misdemeanor:
(1) intentionally and publicly mutilates, defiles, or casts contempt upon the flag; or
(2) places on or attaches to the flag any word, mark, design, or advertisement not properly a part of such flag or exposes to public view a flag so altered; or
(3) manufactures or exposes to public view an article of merchandise or a wrapper or receptacle for merchandise upon which the flag is depicted; or
(4) uses the flag for commercial advertising purposes.
Earlier this year in January someone was caught on camera stealing flags in the Hopkins area.
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