Ann Arbor, Michigan, officials have removed more than 600 neighborhood watch signs after a unanimous council vote, igniting backlash from critics who say common-sense crime prevention is being sacrificed for ideology.
The city confirmed this week that all signs connected to the former Neighborhood Crime Watch program had been taken down following a 10-0 vote approved in December by the Democrat-controlled City Council.
Officials said the removals were intended to bring public spaces in line with Ann Arbor’s stated goals of inclusion and modern public safety practices.
In a public statement, city leaders said eliminating the signs supports “inclusive, evidence-based public safety” and helps foster “trust, belonging, and welcoming neighborhoods for all residents and visitors.”
Officials also described the old neighborhood watch program as defunct and tied to an earlier era shaped by fears over crime and social change.
LifeZette reported that Mayor Christopher Taylor defended the move as a reflection of the city’s current values, arguing that the signage sent the wrong message about who belongs in Ann Arbor.
He said neighborhood watch signs were “expressions of exclusion” and later added that the markers were ultimately “inconsistent with our values.”
The council resolution argued that neighborhood watch programs were often rooted in assumptions about who did and did not belong in certain neighborhoods, claiming they reinforced race-based suspicion toward black, brown, and other marginalized residents and visitors.
Supporters of the decision said older models of community policing relied too heavily on surveillance and exclusion.
Council member Jen Eyer echoed that position, saying Ann Arbor no longer approaches public safety through that lens and does not want visitors to feel unwelcome.
“That is not how we do public safety in Ann Arbor today,” Eyer said. “And we don’t want our signage to message to people who are visiting that they don’t belong, because they do.”
The removals reportedly cost taxpayers about $18,000.
According to MLive, the city used cash reserves to fund the project after determining the signs did not qualify for street funding and that no available police budget funds could be used for the work.
Critics blasted the decision as another example of progressive leaders focusing on symbolism while ignoring real crime concerns.
Former Michigan Republican gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon condemned the move, saying Democrats had shifted from supporting community policing to protecting criminals over neighborhoods.
“For years, the Democrats have demanded community policing over police funding, but today they have hit a new level of protecting the criminal over the community,” Dixon told Fox News Digital.
As news of the removals spread, critics piled on, accusing city leaders of prioritizing optics over safety.
New York City Council member Vickie Paladino wrote, “They’re just insane.”
Conservative journalist Andy Ngo said some activists portray law and order as discriminatory, while Michigan commentator Donnie Detroit questioned whether taking down the signs amounted to encouraging crime.
Neighborhood watch programs became popular nationwide in the late 20th century as residents worked with police to report suspicious activity, share information, and strengthen local awareness, according to The Blaze.
In Ann Arbor, historical reporting from the early 1980s described neighbors organizing block by block after violent crime incidents raised public concern about safety.
While the signs are now gone, the broader argument over what they represented remains unresolved.
Supporters say the city removed outdated symbols that no longer reflect modern values, while critics argue officials spent taxpayer money dismantling a longstanding reminder of community-based crime prevention.
WATCH:
