Jim Thorpe Borough Police on Thursday defended its decision to seek information earlier this week on vandalism to two permit parking signs on West Broadway after a resident and business owner accused the department of targeted enforcement.

After stickers were placed on the permit parking signs near the Stabin Museum, the department posted a “help needed” alert on its Facebook page, asking anyone with information on the vandalism to contact it as it worked to identify the people responsible.

Speaking during the public comment portion of Thursday’s borough council meeting, Joan Morykin, who owns the museum and Café Arielle along with her husband Victor Stabin, said she believes the police were being used as political pawns. Stabin recently ran for borough council but did not advance to November’s general election.

“I’m sure the police have a lot of important stuff to be doing,” Morykin said. “There are dozens of signs in the borough with stickers on them. Some of them have been there 20 years.”

Police Chief Joe Schatz said the most recent incident is the fifth time his officers have been called to that area for vandalism of borough signs.

“There were actually three signs stolen in that area, poles and all,” Schatz said. “We didn’t have any leads at that time so we left the case open. We had to order new signs at $150 a piece not including installation. This is costing the taxpayers money. Then we put barricades up while those signs were down and people were moving those around. We made the decision after this recent incident to reach out to the public to see if they had any information they could share with us.”

The department’s effort to obtain information on the vandalism was criticized on social media by Councilwoman Jessica Crowley, who called the investigation “a waste of time and money.”

Mayor Michael Sofranko said the department’s efforts to seek out confidential information related to the vandalism is an example of community policing.

“Community policing works if the community works with the police and if the police works with the community,” he said. “The only way that works is if you get a message out to the community.”

Borough Manager Maureen Sterner said there is a concern about what happens when the vandals get bored with defacing signs.

“What are they going to vandalize next?” she said. “A business. Somebody’s home. The department is trying to figure out who it is so it doesn’t get worse.”

Morykin said she believes officials in the borough “wear vendettas on their sleeve.”

“I don’t think the police chief woke up and said this is going to be our number one priority of the day,” she said.

Just because the crime may seem minor, Schatz said, doesn’t mean it should be ignored.

“We take every crime seriously,” he said. “Whether it’s a petty crime or a more serious crime. We have a damn good department. We have come a long way in 30 years.”