Downtown Raleigh has a lot to be proud of, especially given how far it has come over the past few years. Raleigh and its citizens can be proud of the renovated buildings, new restaurants and bars, the re-opening of Fayetteville Street, the new Convention Center, the parties, the people, and more.
But there are still a few things,as there are in any city, we could do better. One big thing Raleigh still needs to work on is creating a sense of culture. The demolishing of Kings Barcade almost to a year ago, to make way for another parking deck, left a huge void in the downtown music scene - in providing a venue for local musicians and in attracting national acts.
One other thing that Raleigh could do better is very simple: Remove the “lock, take, hide” signs that currently litter downtown.
If you are somehow unfamiliar with these signs all you need to do is walk downtown. They seem to line every street and mark every parking facility. They were placed throughout downtown over a year ago as a public education tool informing visitors that they should lock their cars, take their keys, and hide their belongings.
Many locals though have a different interpretation of them, saying rather that these signs scream: “Fear Down Town.” Residents and regulars of downtown Raleigh find these signs offensive, silly, and pointless. And, yet worse, these signs are counterproductive to all the great work our city (especially the Mayor and the Downtown Raleigh Alliance) has been doing to bring people back to downtown. These signs instill fear and the sense that downtown is a scary place; And, for the love of god, do not leave your car unattended here for long.
One would imagine that people have the common sense to not leave their purse on the passenger seat with the keys in the ignition and windows rolled down while they run out to a long dinner at one of our new restaurants. (Although, I actually think you could do this if it was a long lunch...). But, if you didn’t have this common sense, then far be it from me to say that you probably will only learn this lesson the hard way.
I did speak to the Mayor about these signs a year ago and he directed me to the Downtown Raleigh Alliance. I then followed up with the good folks at the Downtown Raleigh Alliance and they informed me that it was a Raleigh Police Department project (although the Downtown Raleigh Alliance’s website notes that it’s a joint project between them and the RPD). Checking in with the RPD, they did claim the signs and reaffirmed that it was part of a public safety project.
My question is this: Why would the Mayor allow such a project, which ultimately works against everything I believe he wants for this city, to be implemented and ultimately exist for over a year now in our proud downtown?
You tell me: Is it “Lock, Take, Hide” or “Fear Down Town”?