ANN ARBOR, Mich. (WXYZ) — Ann Arbor is taking down all 600 Neighborhood Crime Watch signs across the city after a resident raised concerns that the program behind them is no longer active.
Watch Carli Petrus' video report below:
The removal comes after Ann Arbor resident Matthew O'Meara brought his concerns to City Council member Jen Eyer, questioning whether the signs were still relevant or effective.
"To me, it sounds like the neighborhood is not being welcoming to the community," O'Meara said. "To me, they seemed like they were coming out of the tough on crime, sort of 1990s view of what it means to be safe in a neighborhood."
O'Meara discovered that the national crime watch program itself is no longer active. When we called the local Ann Arbor crime watch hotline, it directed us to several prompts including a crime bulletin that was 15 years out of date.
"I appreciate the value of safety in the neighborhood — I think that's very important. My daughter's in middle school and I want to see this be a really safe neighborhood for her, but for me, these sort of signs are not about safety and are more about exclusion," O'Meara said.
After O'Meara contacted Eyer with his concerns, she elevated the issue to city staff.
"We talked about it. I said why don't you send me an email and I elevated that to city staff," Eyer said.
On Monday, City Council passed a resolution to remove all 600 signs across Ann Arbor.
"The thing about the neighborhood watch signs is that number one, they don't reduce crime, but moreover, studies show that they can actually encourage a culture of fear and suspicion," Eyer said.
Some residents support the decision to remove the signs.
"Very new information but like I said, it's probably better to have them down if there's not actually anything behind them," resident Mary Lawrence said.
When asked about people who oppose the removal and believe the signs actually stop crime, Eyer responded that research doesn't support that claim.
"The studies just don't show that and the negatives really seem to outweigh the positives at this point," Eyer said.
Instead of relying on the signs, Eyer says what does help prevent crime is investing in better communication. Ann Arbor police recently implemented a crime dashboard.
"That gives residents data, really up to date numbers when it comes to incidents in our community," Eyer said.
As the signs start coming down, O'Meara says he's relieved.
"I feel like this is something that other communities in Michigan and beyond could also do as well," O'Meara said.
The city has already started taking down some of the signs and they should all be removed by mid-summer.
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