[Amended 4-16-1996 ATM
by Art. 8, approved 7-29-1996]
No person shall throw stones, snowballs, sticks or other missiles,
nor kick any football, nor play at any game in which a ball is used,
nor fly any kite or balloon, nor shoot with or use a bow and arrow,
gun, air-gun or sling, in or across any of the public ways of the
Town, nor take hold of or ride upon the hind part of any carriage
or other vehicles, without leave; nor drive, wheel or draw any coach,
cart or other carriage of burden or pleasure, except children's
carriages drawn by hand, upon any sidewalk in the Town; nor drive
or permit any horse under his/her care to go or stand upon any sidewalk
in the Town or to stand on any crosswalk; nor behave himself or herself
in a rude or disorderly manner; nor use any profane, indecent or insulting
language in any street or other public place in the Town or near any
dwelling house or other buildings therein; nor be or remain upon any
doorstep, portico or other step or projection of any such building
or house, to the annoyance of other persons, under a penalty, in accordance
with the fine schedule.
No person shall bathe or swim in any waters within the Town
in a state of nudity in places exposed to public view, or in the immediate
sight of the occupant or occupants of any dwelling house, shop or
factory, under a penalty, in accordance with the fine schedule.
No person shall throw debris, rubbish or waste material or cause
spillage of any of the aforementioned materials to be deposited on
a public way or sidewalk, or public property under a penalty in accordance
with the fine schedule.
When a landlord does not reside on the property they own and
the police details and fees associated with the same.
A. Definitions.
POLICE RESPONSE
Any and all police action deemed appropriate by the Police
Chief to protect the health, safety and welfare of inhabitants of
a property or location where valid complaints have been documented.
Coordination of police action shall be subject to the rules and regulations
of the police department.
PROBLEM PROPERTY
(1)
The Police Department has been called to the property not fewer
than four (4) times within the preceding twelve-month period for any
incident involving any arrestable offense including but not limited
to disturbing the peace, trespassing, underage drinking or assault;
or
(2)
The Police Department has received not fewer than four (4) sustained
complaints for noise within the preceding twelve-month period; or
(3)
The Inspectional Services Department or the Public Health Department
have received not fewer than four (4) sustained complaints within
the preceding twelve-month period for noxious, noisome or unsanitary
conditions.
VALID COMPLAINT
An investigated finding, documented by on-duty Police Department
personnel dispatched or caused to respond to an incident, that a criminal
act has taken place in a dwelling unit within a property, on a particular
property or at a specific location which disturbs the health, safety
and welfare of other inhabitants of said property or location. The
term shall not include incidents involving an occupant of the premises
as the victim of the crime.
B. Police response. The Police Chief, as deemed appropriate to protect
the health, safety and welfare of other inhabitants of a property
or location where a valid complaint has been made, is hereby authorized
and empowered to assign a member or members of the police department
to staff as police response on said property or location;
(1) Upon being dispatched or caused to respond to an incident, in a dwelling
unit within a property, or a particular property or at a specific
location, involving a criminal offense, police department personnel
shall investigate the complaint to determine whether it is a valid
complaint.
(2) Upon finding a valid complaint, police department personnel shall
make a record of the incident and shall keep, within the department's
control, a record of the number of incidents which occur in said dwelling
unit within a property, particular property or location.
(3) After four (4) valid complaints incidents have occurred in a twelve-month
period relating to the occupancy of a dwelling unit within a property,
on a particular property or at a specific location, the Police Chief,
or his designee, may notify the Chair of Town Manager's Task
Force on problem Properties/Code Enforcement Officer and shall submit
to the Chair/Code Enforcement Officer the all-calls report relating
to police response at said dwelling, particular property or location.
C. Duties of the Task Force.
(1) The Chair/Code Enforcement Officer shall create a master file of
all information received from the Chief pertaining to that dwelling
unit, particular property or location and shall discuss said information
with the members of the Task Force/Code Enforcement Officer at a monthly
meeting at Town Hall.
(2) If a specific address falls within the definition of a problem property,
the Chair of the Task Force/Code Enforcement Officer shall notify
in writing, the property owner by regular and certified mail, return
receipt requested, sent to the property owner's residence or
usual place of business that is on record at the Assessor's Office.
The notification shall identify:
(a)
The property owner and list the specific address that has been
designated a problem property.
(b)
The number of valid complaint incidents which have occurred
on said property within a twelve-month period.
(c)
The Randolph Police Contact the property owner may contact to
coordinate a plan to resolve the incidents at the particular property
or location, and/or inform the Randolph Police of problem complaint(s).
(d)
Where and to whom the property owner must address a letter of
appeal of the Task Force's/Code Enforcement Officer's decision.
(3) In making a final designation of a property as a problem property,
the Chair of the Task Force/Code Enforcement Officer shall take into
consideration the nature of the complaints, the number of dwelling
units at the property, and the nature of the use of said property.
(4) Upon receipt of confirmation from the Police Chief, or his designee,
that the owner of a particular property deemed problematic has cooperated
with the Randolph Police Department in addressing each specified valid
complaint, the Task Force/Code Enforcement Officer shall remove said
property from designation as a problem property.
D. Cost of Police response assigned to problem properties.
(1) The Police Chief, or his designee, shall keep an accurate record
of the cost of police response to the dwelling unit within a property,
a particular property or a specific location, and such record shall
include the number of officers who are part of the determined response.
(2) The Police Chief shall forward such record to the Treasurer-Collector.
(3) After eight (8) valid complaint incidents in a twelve-month period
relating to occupants of a dwelling unit within a property, a particular
property or a specific location, the Police Chief, at his discretion,
shall determine whether the cost of a police response should be assessed
to the property owner and shall notify and submit said determination
to the Chair of the Task Force/Code Enforcement Officer.
(4) The Chair of the Task Force/Code Enforcement Officer shall notify,
in writing, the property owner of the Chief's decision to assess
the cost of the police response. The notification shall:
(a)
Be delivered by regular and certified mail, return receipt requested,
sent to the property owner's residence or usual place of business
that is on record at the Assessor's Office.
(b)
Identify the number of valid complaint incidents that have occurred
since the first notification.
(c)
Where appropriate, inform the property owner of his failure
to contact the Randolph Police Contact to coordinate a plan to resolve
the incidents at a dwelling unit within a property, particular property
or location, and/or inform the Randolph Police of problem occupant(s).
(d)
Inform the property owner that he shall be subject to the penalties addressed in subsection
E.
(e)
Indicate where and to whom the property owner must address a
letter of appeal of police response costs assigned to him.
(f)
Inform the property owner he has seven (7) days to file an appeal.
(5) The Police Chief should consider the following factors in making
his decision to assess costs:
(a)
The nature, scope and seriousness of the incident(s).
(b)
Whether the incident(s) resulted in an arrest.
(c)
A history of the criminal activity taking place at the property
or location.
(d)
The property owner's and occupant's willingness to
cooperate with Police.
(e)
The total number of properties owned by the property owner relative
to the number of said properties deemed problematic.
(6) Nothing in this ordinance shall limit the statutory authority of
the Police Chief to investigate crimes, allocate police resources
and enforce the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the
Town of Randolph.
E. Penalties.
(1) The Treasurer-Collector is hereby authorized and empowered to bill
the property owner for the costs the Town incurred for its police
response in addition to any individual costs during the period of
police response to the particular property or location. The property
owner is responsible for payment of the bill in full within thirty
(30) days of receiving the bill. All amounts collected by the Treasurer-Collector
shall be deposited into the general fund of the Town.
(2) Any unpaid bill for police response, including interest and/or collection
costs, shall be added to the real estate tax on the property and collected
as part of that tax. Failure to pay real estate taxes will render
the property owner delinquent and the Treasurer-Collector shall commence
foreclosure proceedings.
F. Property owner's rights.
(1) The property owner may, within seven (7) days of receipt of the notification,
appeal the Chief's decision to assess costs by requesting, in
writing, a hearing before a three (3) person panel appointed by the
Town Manager.
(2) Once the panel makes a decision it must be in writing. If the panel
finds in favor of the property owner, the cost of the penalty shall
be abated.
G. Eviction. In the event the property owner has, in good faith, commenced
eviction proceedings against the tenant(s) responsible for the incidents
at the property, then the application of this ordinance shall be stayed
until the eviction process is concluded. The Police Chief may continue
police response at the particular property or location, at his discretion,
at all times after the eviction proceeding has been completed; provided,
however, that such costs shall not be assessed to the property owner
if the eviction proceedings conclude in favor of the property owner.
H. Charges to constitute municipal lien pursuant to MGL c. 40, § 58.
All charges to recover costs imposed in this ordinance shall constitute
a municipal lien on the property so charged in accordance with MGL
c. 40, § 58.
I. Report. The Chair of the Task Force/Code Enforcement Officer shall
submit a report to the Town Manager and the Town Council no later
than three (3) months after the one (1) year anniversary of the enactment
date of this ordinance. This report shall include the total cost of
administration of this ordinance, as well as an accounting of all
revenues collected in association with it. Said report shall also
contain data regarding all dwellings within a property, particular
properties or locations which remain problem properties and those
that are no longer designated as problem properties. The report shall
also include the general impact, if any, that the implementation of
this order has on the health, safety, and welfare of the residents
of the Town of Randolph.