Schmarity

The above sign is in the window of a drugstore near my office. I’ve always been a bit puzzled about what it means. Is it trying to say, “You shouldn’t loiter, because police will notice you?” Or is it asking police to take notice of people who are loitering: “Police, please take notice of loiterers.” Or is it purposefully ambiguous because it’s trying to say both things and appeal to multiple audiences at once?

At any rate, the sign seems to be defeating its purpose because all it seems to do effectively is attract people to stand in front of it for extended periods of time, trying to determine exactly what it’s saying.