But some business owners feel the Zero Tolerance Zone signs are creating just the opposite impression.

The Zero Tolerance Zone law allows fines to be doubled for Town Code violations committed within the designated zone, which has the same boundaries as the downtown Business Improvement District.

These violations include drinking alcohol in public, riding bicycles on sidewalks, unleashed dogs, graffiti, loitering, noise violations and littering.

The idea was proposed by Councilmen Tim Buckley and Jim Wooten and modeled after a strategy used by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was able in the 1990s to reduce bigger crimes by targeting smaller, quality-of-life-type crimes.

The signs are located at the borders of the zone and have a big "ZTZ" at the top, followed by smaller print that reads, "You are entering a zero tolerance zone." The sign also lists the various Town Code chapters on which violations are subject to doubled fines.

The town's parking district advisory committee passed a resolution last Wednesday urging that the signs be taken down.

Ray Pickersgill, the owner of Robert James Salon on Main Street and a member of the parking committee, said he's never experienced any problems with crime in the three years his store has been downtown, but that since the signs went up, some of his customers have expressed concern.

"What they are saying now is, 'I didn't know we had a problem with crime in Riverhead. It must be real bad,'ââ" he said. "I am concerned for my customers. I don't need them to start thinking Riverhead has a crime problem."

He said a lot of customers only read portions of the sign as they drive by and get the impression that there's a lot of crime in the area.

Bill London, the president of the downtown Business Improvement District, said the zero tolerance zone hasn't brought about any change. He called the measure "a political stunt."

"We all hate the signs," he said. "It makes the town seem even more lawless."

Not everybody hates the signs.

Stephen Wirth, the owner of Digger O'Dell's Restaurant on West Main Street, supported the concept of the zero tolerance zone when it was first announced, and still does, signs and all.

"I've heard complaints about it, that the signs make it sound like you're going to get shot," he said. "But how are we going to prosecute these people unless you warn them? It sends a message that we're serious about enforcing the law. We have to do something."

"I think the signs scare people," Councilman John Dunleavy said.

"The concept is a good one, but I think we can do without the signs," Supervisor Phil Cardinale said. "Did you know Giuliani never used signs? Why give people notice that this is the land of no? Just give them the summons and be done with it. The concept can be implemented without signs. "Why would you want to tell people that this is a lousy place to be in because people are going to bother you?"

The signs have also been criticized for being hard to read and for the manner in which they were approved.

Mr. Cardinale said the full Town Board had no input into where they were placed, what was on them and how they were funded. He said he plans to discuss the matter with the full board next week, once Mr. Buckley returns from Coast Guard Reserve duty in Texas.

"As far as the signs go, with one exception, all the comments I've had from business owners were quite positive, so I am surprised to hear that," Mr. Buckley said when told of the criticisms.

tgannon@timesreview.com

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