Loitering

WHEREAS, numerous incidents of vandalism and breaches of the peace resulting in damage to property and risk of injury to persons have occurred in the Town of Stonington, and

 

WHEREAS, in the great majority of cases such incidents have been perpetrated by persons loitering about the public streets and properties of the Town of Stonington, and

 

WHEREAS, Section 7-148 of the General Statutes of Connecticut, Rev. of 1958, as amended, specifically empowers towns to regulate loitering on public property by ordinance.

 

NOW THEREFORE:  BE IT ORDAINED BY THE LEGAL VOTERS OF THE TOWN OF STONINGTON IN LAWFUL SPECIAL TOWN MEETING DULY ASSEMBLED THAT THE FOLLOWING ORDINANCE BE ESTABLISHED BY THE TOWN OF STONINGTON;

 

1.  Title:  An ordinance to regulate loitering in the Town of Stonington.

 

2.  Definition as used in this ordinance "loitering" shall an remaining idle in essentially one location and shall include the concepts of spending time idly, loafing, or walking about aimlessly, and shall also include property owned by or under the control of the Town of Stonington and shall include all public highways and sidewalks within said Town.

 

3.  Certain types of loitering prohibited.  No person shall loiter on public property in such manner as to:
a.  create or cause to be created a danger of a breach of the peace which shall include the making of unsolicited remarks of an offensive, disgusting or insulting nature or which are calculated to annoy or disturb the person to or in whose hearing, they are made.

 

b.  create or cause to be created any disturbance or annoyance to the comfort and repose of any person;

 

c.  obstruct, molest, or interfere with any person lawfully in or on any public property.

 

4.  Request to leave.  Whenever the presence of any person on any public property is causing or is likely to cause any of the conditions enumerated in Section 3, any police officer present shall order that person to leave such property.  Any person who shall fail to leave after being ordered to do so by a police officer shall be guilty of a violation of this section.

 

5.  Penalty.  Any person, violating the provisions of this ordinance shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00) for each offense.

 

6.  This ordinance shall become effective on the first day of the month succeeding adoption by a Town Meeting, but not less than fifteen (15) days after due publication.

 

Adopted  November 27, 1979