St. Petersburg officials encourage citizens to ‘keep an eye’ on their neighbors

Officials in St. Petersburg are taking the “if you see something, say something” adage a step further, unveiling new public service announcements in the city’s subway system that encourage residents to spy on their neighbors.

“And do you know who lives next door? Vigilance is security deposit on safety,” say signs photographed on train cars featuring four people photoshopped into apartment windows: a young girl, a man reading, an old woman reading, and a man wearing a dark hoodie (this last character is presumably meant to appear threatening). The ads include phone numbers for St. Petersburg’s Federal Security Service and local police.

According to the website TJournal, Russian Internet users have criticized the ads, accusing the city of encouraging people to “inform on their neighbors.” Some Internet users have also reportedly joked that the people depicted in the advertisements don’t actually appear to be very unusual or frightening.

City officials told the website Fontanka that the public service announcements are part of an anti-terrorism effort, saying citizens should inform law enforcement, if they suspect their neighbors are involved in any illegal activity.