Source: https://ecode360.com/30717095
Timestamp: 2020-07-12 20:31:11
Document Index: 96692153

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 249', '§ 249', '§ 249', '§ 249', '§ 249', '§ 249', '§ 249']

Borough of West Grove, PA Loitering
§ 249-1 Declaration of purpose.
§ 249-3 Certain types of loitering prohibited.
§ 249-4 Determination of loitering.
§ 249-5 Opportunity to dispel concern.
§ 249-6 Request to leave.
§ 249-7 Time limit.
Chapter 249 Loitering
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of West Grove 7-1-1998 by Ord. No. 1998-05. Amendments noted where applicable.]
To create a safe, clean and law-abiding environment in and about the Borough, its public streets, sidewalks, parking lots, parks and other public areas;
To promote the Borough, as a safe, drug-free and peaceful place where citizens can visit and access all businesses, churches, neighborhoods and public accommodations and use public property without fear of obstruction, molestation or interference;
To exercise the police power to maintain the peace and public health, safety and welfare by regulating activities that interfere with others as stringently as possible, within the mandates of constitutionally protected rights; and
To prohibit unsafe, threatening and aggressive loitering and not the innocent customary activity of citizens.
Remaining idle essentially in and about a particular area; lingering; spending time idly; loafing or walking about aimlessly in one vicinity or neighborhood; "hanging around"; sauntering or moving slowly about where the conduct is not due to physical condition or defect; prowling or wandering, irrespective of whether the conduct is on foot or in, on, or by way of parked or moving vehicle.
Any place to which the public has access including any public street, sidewalk, alley, way, parking lot, park or other public ground within the Borough or in or about the areas in front of or adjacent to any building or structure used in whole or in part for dwelling or rooming or boarding purposes or for business, amusement, commercial, mercantile, manufacturing, industrial, storage, education, recreational or religious purposes, including but not limited to a school, store, restaurant, tavern or other business.
Hinder or obstruct the free passage of pedestrians, persons or property to or from any entrance to or exit of a building, structure or vehicle and fail or refuse to move or disperse when asked to do so by a police officer;
Create or cause to be created a danger of breach of the peace or otherwise create a concern for or threaten the safety of a person or security of property; or
Molest or interfere with any person lawfully in any public place, including but not limited to the making of unsolicited remarks of an offensive, disgusting or insulting nature, or which are calculated to annoy, disturb or threaten the person to, or in whose hearing, the remarks are made.
The police shall enforce these loitering regulations. In some cases there will be no doubt that the prohibited activity has occurred, such as in the obstruction of free and safe access and passage through or upon a public way. With the other types of prohibited loitering, the police shall make a determination as to whether the activity warrants a concern for the safety of persons or security of property in the vicinity. In determining whether concern is warranted, the police may consider the following circumstances as tending to warrant concern:
The person, upon appearance of a police officer, takes flight, attempts to conceal himself or herself or any object, or refuses to identify himself or herself and explain his or her presence and conduct after a request;
The person systematically checks doors, windows or other means of ingress or egress to a building, structure or a vehicle;
Activity by the person which outwardly manifests no useful purpose or and is not usual for a law-abiding or peace-abiding person;
The continuous or repeated presence of a person in close proximity to a building, structure, vehicle or other property, or in close proximity to another person for a period of time not usual under the circumstances; or
The time of day when or the place where the activity occurs is inappropriate for the activity observed.
Where an officer has determined that the person's actions create a concern for the safety of another person or the public or security of property, the person whose conduct causes the concern shall be given an opportunity to dispel the concern by identifying himself or herself and explaining his or her presence and conduct. The actor shall not be given this opportunity if he or she takes flight upon the appearance of a police officer or attempts to conceal himself or herself or any object or if other circumstances make it impractical or unsafe for the police officer to give this opportunity.
If the actor's explanation of his or her presence or conduct to the police officer is untrue or does not dispel the concern, the officer may arrest the person or persons.
Whenever the presence of any person in any public place is causing or is likely to cause any of the conditions enumerated in § 249-3, the police may order that person to leave that place. Any person who shall refuse to leave after being ordered to do so by a police officer shall be guilty of a violation of this chapter.
When a police officer orders a person to leave an area, he or she shall not return to that area for at least two hours. If the person is found in the same area within a two-hour period of having been ordered to leave, then the person shall be guilty of a violation of this chapter.