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City employees have noticed an odd series of open power boxes, traffic signal problems and other suspicious circumstances.
Over the last 31/2 months in all parts of town, traffic signals have misfired, directional speakers for the visually impaired have malfunctioned, and some lights have faced the wrong direction.
City staff members believe many of the incidents are connected, and that an unknown person or persons has been tampering with traffic signals across town.
"Whoever's doing this is playing with fire," Sunnyvale communications officer John Pilger said. "The vehicle code for tampering with a light control is a misdemeanor, but if there's an injury or a death, it becomes a felony."
Some traffic lights have been physically turned in different directions, while others have been tampered with to either turn off or turn red in all directions. The audible signals that beep or chirp used by visually impaired pedestrians have been turned away from their intended directions at some intersections.
"People who are visually impaired rely on hearing. With the speakers turned the wrong way there's a good chance we will have a serious accident," Pilger said.
He said a number of control and power boxes have been found open around town, but no one is sure if they were opened by the same person. Because the city has a number of contractors and employees with keys to boxes, those cases could be isolated incidences.
In some cases, the wiring that has been tampered with is at the top of traffic poles, and Pilger said public safety officers believe someone must have used a bucket truck to access the top. But because the city regularly has crews working in bucket trucks, the tampering may have just looked like routine maintenance.
"They're hiding out in the open," Pilger said.
Sunnyvale Transportation and Traffic Manager Jack Witthaus said the type of tampering being done suggests that whoever is doing it has experience working on systems like those used by the city.
The city has alerted all patrol officers to watch for traffic work being done and to verify that any maintenance is city-sanctioned. They're also asking Sunnyvale residents for help.
"We're asking the public to pay attention when they see someone working on traffic lights in Sunnyvale," Public Safety Deputy Chief Mark Stivers said. "If you don't see a vehicle with a Sunnyvale City logo on it nearby, call DPS at 911 . If you're using a cell phone, call 408.736.6244. DPS can then verify if the work being done is legitimate."
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