DOWNTOWN AKRON PARTNERSHIP (DAP) UNVEILS NEW SAFETY VEHICLE
You will know it when you see it.
Downtown Akron Partnership (DAP) unveiled its new brightly wrapped safety vehicle at a meeting of Downtown Akron’s Special Improvement District (SID) on November 1.
This highly visible truck will enhance the ability of DAP’s ambassadors to provide safety services downtown, says DAP President Suzie Graham.
DAP safety ambassadors provide free safety escorts, lockout services, jumpstarts, graffiti removal, safety patrols and vehicular and pedestrian assistance within downtown’s 42-block SID. Property owners within the SID pay a self-assessed tax for DAP services that supplement the services of the City.
The truck and its colorful graphic wrap were fully funded by The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.
DAP’s nine uniformed safety and cleaning ambassadors patrol the district mostly on foot, says supervisor Wayne Weese. “We will be able to do more in a shorter period of time, transporting our ambassadors to those requesting services and getting graffiti removal equipment to designated locations.”
“We receive a great deal of positive feedback in the form of letters, emails, phone calls and sometimes even in person,” says Weese. “No one expects to lock their keys in their car or to come out to a dead battery, but we take care of their problem and leave them with a positive downtown experience.”
“Our ambassador program is one of our most visible functions,” said Graham. “The false perception of downtown as unsafe can be difficult to overcome. Downtown Akron is actually one of the safest neighborhoods in Akron.”
“Our annual surveys of property and business owners, downtown employees, visitors and residents all show that the negative perception is changing,” says Graham. “And our ambassadors are a big part of that change.”
A nonprofit organization, Downtown Akron Partnership's mission is to promote and enhance the commercial, cultural, artistic and recreational vitality of downtown Akron. Since its inception in 1995, the Partnership has been a catalyst for enhancing the downtown environment with cleaning, safety and beautification programs, special events, a comprehensive website and other marketing initiatives.
Safety ambassadors can be reached at 330-706-7383. Visit www.downtownakron.comfor more information on Downtown Akron Partnership services.
