The barber pole was taken from the East High Barber Co., 2429 E. High St., at about 5 a.m. on Aug. 2, according to a police report. The suspect allegedly pulled a surveillance camera to change its angle and also spray painted the lens.
Later that day, owner Matt Digel posted a photo to social media of the suspect believed to have stolen the barber pole. It was viewed more than 26,000 times and shared more than 300 times.
On Friday, Digel received a phone call from a fellow barber who said he had purchased the pole and wanted to bring it back to where it belonged. He believes the social media post helped bring the pole back to the shop, he said.
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“I’m so grateful to the people of Springfield,” Digel said. “The city has kind of had a bad reputation in recent years. There’s a lot of good people in the city who want to see Springfield flourish and are sick of the crime going on.”
Digel plans to re-install the pole with additional surveillance and security features, he said. It represents simpler times, he said. He opened the shop in February.
“A barber pole represents more than just a barber shop,” Digel said. “A barber shop is a place where the community comes, gets to know their friends and neighbors and hang out here.”
Police are still investigating the incident, Capt. Mike Varner said.
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