Reading woman to drug dealers: Stay away

READING, Pa. (WPVI) -- A Reading woman is letting everyone on her block know she won't tolerate crime.

Nancy Centano put up a sign outside her home on Front Street, warning drug dealers to stay away.

She asks them to respect her and her property by taking their criminal activity elsewhere.

"You live your life the way you want to live it. If you want to wheel or deal or roll or smoke or whatever the hell you want to do, don't do it on my property," she said.

Centano says the final straw was when someone broke into her home earlier this year.

"My gun was stolen, all of my jewelry was stolen, and my medication for my pain was stolen," she said.

While the decision to post the sign was born from Nancy Centano's frustration, local authorities also say it carries the legal weight of a property owner.

"That does have legal standing and police can act on that. They can arrest people who are on your property without your permission," said Chief Bill Heim of Reading Police.

Many neighbors said they understand her frustration.

"The drug rate, the crime rate, all that stuff around here, it's crazy anyway. So for her to put your opinion out there, she's justified," said Travis Jackson.

"I think the lady is at her boiling point, she's frustrated and I think she's taking personal responsibility for her own neighborhood," said Angel Figueroa.

Centano says she realizes that she runs the risk of antagonizing local troublemakers - but she says that's a risk she's willing to take.

"There's a lot of injustice in our neighborhood and you have to stand up," she said.

To be clear, she said most of her neighbors are good, decent people but she adds if that sign offends you, it's for you.