Unless the context otherwise requires, the following words and
phrases shall be construed according to the definitions set forth
below:
Services rendered by the code enforcement personnel of the
Borough of Crafton in connection with inspections, violations of Borough
ordinances, or violations of the Property Maintenance Code.
A gathering at which any public disturbance occurs.
Any place within the Borough where persons gather or abide
and where the owner, lessee, or person in charge permits, encourages,
or tends to permit or encourage drunkenness, illegal consumption of
alcohol or drugs, boisterous conduct, unseemly noise, fighting or
other conduct which disturbs the public peace or decorum, or promotes
disorder and lessens the dignity of the community. Said definition
shall apply whether the place is public or private, a building, parking
area, or any lot of land in the Borough. All such places within the
Borough of Crafton are hereby declared a public nuisance.
A party or other event involving a group of persons who have
assembled or are assembling for a social occasion or activity on private
property.
The person who is in possession or control of the private
property where a gathering takes place by virtue of owning the property,
having a lease on the property, or otherwise being in possession of
the property, and/or who organized, sponsored, conducted, hosted,
or permitted such gathering, invited persons to attend such gathering,
or was otherwise in charge of such gathering.
Any person who is the owner, lessor, lessee, or other person
in charge of any disorderly house at the time when any of the acts
defined above are permitted, encouraged, or committed.
Any person not the keeper of a disorderly house, who lives
and abides in such disorderly house or is employed at, visits or attends
a gathering in a disorderly house, lot, parking area or other place,
knowing that such house is a disorderly house as defined herein.
Any natural person, partnership, corporation, or other entity
that holds record title to private property.
Police service rendered in responding to a call at a disorderly
gathering, disorderly house, or otherwise to maintain order, the public
peace, or public safety, as well as stopping a public disturbance
at a disorderly gathering or a disorderly house.
Any land, building, or other structure not owned by a public
entity.
Any act by a host or a person attending a gathering, including, but not limited to, public drunkenness, any open container ordinance, underage drinking, possession or use of illegal drugs, public urination or defecation, unlawful deposit of trash or litter on public or private property, damage to or destruction of public or private property, obstruction of public roads, highways, or sidewalks, interfering with emergency or police services, violation of Articles II, III or IV hereof, indecent exposure, fighting, or violations of any other Borough ordinance. As used in this article, a public disturbance shall also include violations of the Property Maintenance Code caused by any act by a host or a person attending a gathering, including, but not limited to, those acts referred to herein.
No person shall permit, keep, maintain, or be a keeper, host
or an occupant of a disorderly house within the Borough. Violators
are subject to the penalties of this chapter upon conviction before
a District Judge having jurisdiction.
No host, occupant or other person attending a gathering shall
commit any act constituting a public disturbance. No host shall hold,
conduct, or permit a gathering where any act of public disturbance
occurs thereat nor shall the host permit a gathering to continue if
any act of public disturbance has occurred or is occurring. Violations
shall include instances where police services and/or code enforcement
services are needed to respond to a public disturbance or the effects
of a public disturbance.
It shall be the duty of the police officers of the Borough to
suppress, close and keep closed any disorderly house, and to arrest
a person who holds or conducts a disorderly gathering, and to arrest
all occupants and other persons found in a disorderly house or attending
a disorderly gathering. If the occupant or any other persons within
such disorderly house, or those attending a disorderly gathering,
refuse to permit any police officer of the Borough to enter the same,
the officer may enter the disorderly house or cause the same to be
entered by whatever force is necessary, and to arrest, by issuance
of citation or otherwise, all occupants and other persons found therein.
Any person, partnership, corporation or other entity who shall violate any provision of this Article I shall be guilty of a summary offense and, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $300 nor more than $600, together with costs of prosecution, and may be imprisoned for a period up to 10 days. Every day that a violation of this Article I continues shall constitute a separate offense.
In an effort to keep the owners of private property aware of
criminal conduct on their property resulting in disturbances to other
citizens, whenever a person other than the property owner is cited
under the provisions of this article, the owner may be notified that
such disturbance occurred on his, her or its property.
