Ann Arbor removes neighborhood watch signs, saying they send a wrong message
Ann Arbor removes neighborhood watch signs
Here is some of the video the city posted on its Facebook page earlier this week, taking down more than 600 neighborhood watch signs. The signs originated in the 1970s, but all these years later, elected officials say the neighborhood watch program is defunct here in Ann Arbor. They say Ann Arbor is a welcoming city, and the signs, they say, aren’t welcoming.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - The City of Ann Arbor has removed all of its neighborhood watch signs. In a video posted on Facebook, the mayor and city council members say the signs send the wrong message.
FOX 2 looked to talk to the mayor and the city council members more about this, but no one responded to a request for an interview.
Big picture view:
The city posted a video on its Facebook page earlier showing officials taking down more than 600 neighborhood watch signs. The signs originated in the 1970s, but all these years later, elected officials say the neighborhood watch program is defunct here in Ann Arbor.
They say Ann Arbor is a welcoming city, and the signs, they say, aren’t welcoming.
The National Neighborhood Watch program started back in the 1970s.
According to their website, many cities still take part in the neighborhood watch program, but city leaders say the program is defunct here in Ann Arbor.
Dig deeper:
According to the National Neighborhood Watch website, these programs are still active in cities across the country.
"I never thought that I can tell you what I’ve always thought—that it was neighborhood watch, be careful. Neighbors care about who’s coming in the area. They have children, we have seniors, we are concerned about safety," said Tonjua Totten.
"I walk through neighborhoods that I don’t live in all the time and run over there, and I could see how it would send a message that certain people aren’t necessarily welcome," said Sayda Bower. "I guess my question is, do they even do anything? What’s the point in general? Why are they here to begin with?"
Active neighborhood programs are neighbors watching out for each other, letting each other and the police know if they see anything or anyone suspicious.