ALPINE, Utah — The Lone Peak Police Department has launched an investigation after a digital road sign in Alpine was hacked to display a racist message targeting Black individuals — an incident that has sparked outrage and concern in the community.
The sign, located outside a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse near Canyon Crest Drive, was intended to provide information about a local traffic detour. Instead, someone reprogrammed it to display an explicit racial slur and the name of a local high school athlete.
“This is not something we see in Alpine,” said Gordon Oswald, a 14-year resident of the city. “These kids today have too much time on their hands. If it’s an adult, I’d say they deserve some punishment — maybe even jail time. This is not right.”
Authorities say the message was removed quickly, but the damage was already done. The Lone Peak Police Department has since announced a $1,000 reward for any information leading to the identification and arrest of the person or people responsible.
Across the country, law enforcement agencies have reported a rise in incidents involving unauthorized access to portable electronic message boards. In many cases, offenders break into the control boxes beneath the signs, override default passwords, and input their own messages.
While such acts are sometimes meant as pranks — like the well-known 2009 Austin incident where a sign was changed to read “CAUTION! ZOMBIES AHEAD!!!!” — officials say this case was a clear act of hate and vandalism, not humor.
Residents of Alpine expressed shock and disappointment, emphasizing that the message does not reflect the city’s values.
“I’m coming from church right now, and people need to just love each other more,” said Dave Garber, who has lived in Alpine for 13 years. “Alpine is a great community. This kind of thing doesn’t represent who we are.”
The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) confirmed that the sign did not belong to the agency but noted they’ve seen similar cases before. Officials recommended that construction and event crews secure their signs with locks and unique passwords to prevent tampering.
The Lone Peak Police Department continues to investigate and encourages anyone with information about the incident to contact them directly.
