DENVER — Three messages on a digital construction sign in Denver’s RiNo (River North Art District) neighborhood caught the eye of morning commuters Wednesday.
"It said 'abolish cops,' 'support trans kids' and 'burn it down,'" Eli Kunich said he saw on the sign Wednesday morning.
Denver city officials say the sign was hacked, but they don't know how it happened. They also told Denver7 they were almost done with the sign anyway, so when it was hacked, they had the company they rent it from pick it up.
"I was wondering why it was on what I thought was a DOT sign, honestly. Obviously, I support anyone’s ability to get out or make their opinions heard, but I was surprised to see it on public equipment," Kunich said.
The company that rents the signs to the city said there’s a control board inside the box. Sometimes, if it’s left unlocked or someone has an extra key, the sign can be easily hacked by someone who knows what they’re doing.
Denver Police Department is not pursuing criminal charges at this time.