Canonsburg residents head to court over signs supporting police, warning drug dealers

CANONSBURG, Pa. — Residents of Canonsburg who refused to take down signs thanking police for busting neighborhood drug dealers were due in court Thursday.

Homeowners on Giffin Street plan to fight the fines they received in August.

The signs began as a warning to criminals, but then became thank you notes to officers who helped put drug dealers behind bars.

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Shortly after, residents displaying the signs of support got notices in the mail that said fines of $500 would be issued if the signs did not come down.

Canonsburg’s zoning office told Channel 11 News in August that a homeowner on Giffin, who rented to several of the suspects who were arrested, threatened to sue the city if they did not enforce a decades-old ordinance that prohibits signage.

As of Thursday, only one sign, belonging to Cindy Davis, remained displayed. She now owes about $45,000 but said she’s not backing down.

“People need to stand up. We need to take our neighborhood back,” Davis said.

A group of neighbors joined Davis Thursday, some of whom want to join the cause.

“I’ve lived here long enough. I may be part of the generation running this town, but I’m not one of them. I don’t care what it takes. We are going to take our town back,” Canonsburg resident Jonathan Williams said.

In court, the borough manager said he wanted to work with the group and came up with a compromise. He said the current ordinances were written by a company from New York. The town spent $43,000 on a consultant to change them, and a new ordinance has been proposed that will allow smaller signs.

Davis seemed content with the decision.

“I can easily take a saw and cut the sign and make it fit the new ordinance,” she said.

The judge continued Davis’ case Thursday, saying he has never had an issue with an ordinance like this one in his whole career and needs time to carefully review it.

For the time being, the court will not be imposing the fine on Davis.

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