Detroit cracks down on illegal signs across city

Mayor Mike Duggan's administration is cracking down on the businesses it says post signs in violation of a city ordinance along intersections across the city.

Why it matters: Ads for plumbers or cash for houses are common on public property at intersections and light poles — but this practice is unlawful under the city's sign ordinance.

• Officials say they are only targeting the worst offenders: those who continue posting large numbers of ads after being warned to stop.
• These signs aren't new, but the city started taking them down last year under its "Blight to Beauty" efforts that also entail trash removal, installing public art and suing businesses that own long-dilapidated buildings.
• As they let businesses know about the ordinance, city workers say they've had to remove fewer signs.

The latest: The owner of the top business being targeted — William Shaw IV of Shaw's Plumbing in Melvindale — was charged Friday for violating the ordinance and faces 90 days in jail and/or nearly $30,000 in fines over 59 misdemeanor counts, the city announced at a press conference Monday.

• The city says workers have taken down more than 600 of Shaw's signs since February 2022, per a news release.

• It has plans to seek charges against four other alleged offenders.

Details: City officials say Shaw was called, plus sent texts and letters, asking him to stop posting ads, but Shaw tells Axios he wasn't aware of the charges and hasn't "had any communication with the city, nor have I had communication with city officials, regarding this matter" up until he sat down with a police officer last week.

• Shaw says he paid workers to start taking down the signs starting last week and if he'd been aware they were a "nuisance" he'd have torn them down sooner.