The Bluffton Police Department and the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said they had not received any reports about the Bluffton-area signs that in recent weeks have been marked with scrawl that appears to spell the initials C.U.P. Neither agency could say what the initials might mean.
On Thursday, the Transportation Department replaced nine signs: six stops signs, two speed-limit signs and one do-not-enter sign. Stop signs with similar graffiti remained Friday night at the Belfair Towne Village shopping center and at the intersection of Calhoun and Bridge streets in the old town.
"They're so much harder to see at night that if a sign is defaced enough, it could lead to somebody's injury or death," said Jim Feda, the Transportation Department's director of maintenance. "Please don't do that. This is about what the consequences could be. I don't think it makes them immortal or something because their name is displayed for everyone to see."
The agency often has to replace the entire sign because rubbing out the writing can dull the sign's ability to reflect light. It may be easy to read a sign in the daytime, but impossible at night after maintenance crews have wiped off the graffiti.
Stops signs cost about $30 each to replace, not including labor or equipment costs, said Bryan Webb, a traffic engineer with the department.
The Transportation Department discovered the damage during routine checks and had not received any complaints about the signs, Feda said.
To report highway maintenance needs to the local Department of Transportation maintenance office, call 524-7255.