Very few urban centers are as welcoming as Downtown Cleveland.
Our DCA Ambassadors play a big role in that spirit. Look for them.
Rely on them. They're here to assist you with your every move.
When you're in Downtown Cleveland, a clean and secure
environment makes all the difference to living, working, shopping,
and visiting. That's why in 2006, the Downtown Cleveland Alliance
launched the Downtown Ambassadors program, funded by the newly
formed Special Improvement District. Working from our central
Operations Center with full communications capabilities, dozens of
cross-trained team members work shifts spanning 18 hours a day to
create a cleaner, safer, better environment for everyone downtown.
You'll find them adding their services to downtown special events,
too.
Street clean-up, graffiti removal, weed abatement? There's a
difference you can see. Looking for directions? Just ask. Need
assistance? Speak up. Want an after-hours escort? No problem.
Our Clean and Safe ambassadors spend most of their time
providing hospitality services. They're trained to help with
information on hotels, restaurants, attractions, events,
conventions, and parking locations and costs. They're also
knowledgeable about local ordinances such as panhandling, loitering
and solicitation and are in contact with Peace Officers if a
situation requires action.
Clean Ambassadors
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Our Clean Team Members log about 1900 hours a week to keep our
streets clean, collecting an average of 3,200 pounds of trash per
week. They patrol Downtown each day to remove litter, cigarette
butts and gum to keep downtown sidewalks and public spaces neat and
attractive. But that's just the start. They also straighten
fixtures like news boxes and trash cans. And they're the Number One
tool against graffiti -- removing graffiti, decals, flyers, paint,
posters and stickers from public spaces. They even go to work damp
wiping surfaces like trash cans and benches to remove dust and
grime.
Get the Weeds Out! And Wash Up!
Weed abatement is also part of the Clean Team's work, and they
took care of nearly 1400 block faces in just their first six months
on the job.
A regular schedule of power washing enhances the cleanliness of
downtown sidewalks.
Plus Special Projects for the "Wow" Effect
A dedicated focus is placed on finding special projects that add
extra value to downtown. Some of the plans include painting street
fixtures, benches and the like; special plantings; power washing
and repair of waste cans.
Safety Ambassadors
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Our Safety Ambassadors - some walking and some on bikes -- patrol
downtown as a positive influence for safety, acting as the eyes and
ears for police. On duty 18 hours a day, they walk or bike about
1000 miles a week! Each Ambassador patrols specific districts,
following a preset schedule and making regular stops by businesses
on their route to gather and share security-related information and
concerns.
Peace
Officers.
Ambassadors also carry two-way radios to reach one of our Peace
Officers -- off-duty Cleveland Police officers who can provide
supplementary security. The Peace Officer on duty patrols in a
marked Downtown Cleveland Alliance vehicle as a very visible
presence to promote safety, and can issue citations or make arrests
if necessary. They log about 2000 miles a month! The Peace Officer
keeps in direct contact with the Cleveland Police Department at all
times.
Help for the
Homeless.
Safety Ambassadors are trained to interact with the homeless. They
can call on the on-staff Social Service Representative, a trained
social work professional, who can work one-on-one with individuals
in need. The service has helped scores of people in need to make
connections to local outreach programs.