As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
LOITERING
Remaining idle in essentially one location and shall include the
concepts of spending time idly, loafing or walking about aimlessly, and shall
also include the colloquial expression "hanging around."
PARENT or GUARDIAN
Includes any adult person having care or custody of a minor, whether
by reason of blood relationship, the order of any court or otherwise.
PUBLIC PLACE
Any place to which the public has access and shall include any street,
highway, road, alley, boardwalk or sidewalk. It shall also include the front
or the neighborhood of any store, shop, restaurant, tavern or other place
of business and public grounds, areas, parks and marinas, as well as parking
lots or other vacant private property not owned by or under the control of
the person charged with violating this chapter or, in the case of a minor,
not owned or under the control of his parent or guardian.
No person shall loiter in a public place in such a manner as to:
A. Create or cause to be created a danger of a breach of
the peace.
B. Create or cause to be created any disturbance or annoyance
to the comfort and repose of any person.
C. Obstruct the free passage of pedestrians or vehicles.
D. Obstruct, molest or interfere with any person lawfully
in any public place. This subsection 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 whom, or in whose hearing, they are made.
Whenever any police officer shall, in the exercise of reasonable judgment, decide that the presence of any person in any public place is causing or is likely to cause any of the conditions enumerated in §
141-2, he may, if he deems it necessary for the preservation of the public peace and safety, 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.
No parent or guardian of a minor under the age of 18 years shall knowingly
permit that minor to loiter in violation of this chapter. Whenever any minor
under the age of 18 years is charged with a violation of this chapter, his
parent or guardian shall be notified of this fact by the Chief of Police or
any other person designated by him to give such notice. If at any time within
30 days following the giving of notice, the minor to whom such notice relates
again violates this chapter, it shall be presumed, in the absence of evidence
to the contrary, that the minor did so with the knowledge and permission of
his parent or guardian.