Which is a goddamned shame, and I'm getting mad just thinking about this.

This is a state-funded idea that was incredibly badly planned. There was no plaque saying "ART," just a little banner listing "friends of the nib."

It's too bad it was taken, but somebody probably just thought they were taking down a cool poster that was destined for demolition anyway.

If you think that is too "Magik-y Negro", I'd hate to be you when you get behind one of these.

If you saw the same trinket on top of a modest pedestal in a plaza, with an informative plaque, would you be more or less likely to take it?

If the city had given the art the space and/or recognition it deserved, it would have inspired people to treat the works with the same amount of respect. Since it failed utterly in that regard, you're placing blame on the wrong people by "calling all snitches."

That was uncalled for.

Seriously, if you saw a trinket, behind a fence, fastened to the wall, how likely would you be to pocket it? You must want it badly enough to climb a fence, slash it off the wall to steal it.