[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners
of the Township of Hatfield 10-27-1999 by Ord. No. 456 (Ch. 6, Part 1, of the
1994 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
Disorderly conduct and/or acts of disturbing
the peace within the limits of the Township are hereby prohibited,
and no person shall engage in such conduct or commit such acts within
the limits of the Township.
A.
Disorderly conduct and/or acts of disturbing the peace
are hereby defined for the purpose of this chapter as any act, word
or conduct causing or tending to cause a disturbance of the peace
and good order of the Township or causing or tending to cause any
danger, discomfort or annoyance to the inhabitants of the Township
or users of the Township thoroughfares. Such act, words or conduct
shall include, but not be limited to, fighting (or engaging in threatening,
violent or tumultuous behavior), drunkenness, vagrancy, begging, profanity
(or indecent language or acts); the making or causing to be made of
any unnecessary or unreasonable noises or disturbances, clamor or
other sounds disturbing or tending to disturb the peace and/or quiet
of the community; the carrying on of any business, trade, transportation,
recreation or amusement in a manner, at a time or in a place which
causes any unnecessary noise or disturbance, discomfort, danger or
annoyance; the reckless or careless driving or any other use of vehicles
or animals by owners, occupants, users or operators of the same as
shall endanger the safety of or interfere with the comfort and convenience
of inhabitants of the Township or persons using the thoroughfares
of the Township; and/or the creation of hazardous or physically offensive
conditions by any act which serves no legitimate purpose of the actor.
B.
All noises or other sounds shall be considered to
be unnecessary and to constitute disorderly conduct if they are made
on Sunday or on weekdays during hours other than the usual and customary
hours for such work or activity, even though they are no louder than
is customary and are the unavoidable sounds or noises attendant upon
the ordinary use and operation or performance of business, trade,
transportation, recreation or amusement.
Without in any manner intending to limit or
restrict the generality of the above definition of and prohibition
against disorderly conduct and/or acts disturbing the peace, the following
are hereby declared to constitute disorderly conduct and/or acts disturbing
the peace:
A.
The unnecessary sounding of automobile horns, sirens,
bells, whistles or other warning devices, the operation of any motor
vehicle which makes any unnecessary or unusual noise caused by an
improper or defective muffler or the backfire or racing of such motor
in or about the operation of such motor vehicle. It is not intended
hereby to prohibit the use of such warning devices in emergencies
or at such times or in such manner as a prudent operator in the exercise
of good judgment may deem necessary.
B.
The operation of radios, phonographs, television sets
or other mechanical instruments or singing, shouting or playing of
musical instruments in a manner or at a time which is generally considered
to be inappropriate and which unnecessarily disturbs the peace and
quiet of the immediate neighborhood.
C.
Loitering.
(1)
No person shall loiter in such a manner as to create
or cause to be created a danger of a breach of the peace, or create
or cause to be created any disturbance or annoyance to the comfort
and repose of any person; or obstruct the free passage of pedestrians
or vehicles; or obstruct, molest or interfere with any person lawfully
in any public place as defined herein. This subsection shall include
the making of unsolicited remarks of an offensive, profane, disgusting
or insulting nature or which are calculated to annoy or disturb the
person to whom or in whose hearing they are made.
(2)
LOITERING
PUBLIC PLACE
As used in this section, the following terms shall
have the meanings indicated:
Remaining idle in essentially one location. It shall include
the concepts of spending time idly loafing or walking about aimlessly
and shall also include the colloquial expression "hanging around."
Any place to which the public or a substantial group has
access. The term shall include any street, highway, road, alley or
sidewalk. It shall also include any premises open to the public, the
front or the neighborhood surrounding any store, shop, restaurant,
tavern or other place of business or amusement, schools, prisons,
apartments, any neighborhood and public grounds, areas and parks,
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.
(3)
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 this chapter, 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.
D.
Acting in or upon any street, alley, or other public
way or public place or at any public gathering or assembly, or in
or around any store, shop, business or commercial establishment or
on any private property or place in a noisy, loud, boisterous, unseemly,
lewd, lascivious or wanton manner in speech or behavior or in any
other manner as to disturb, or tend to disturb, the peace and quiet
of the community, the passersby or the inhabitants of the Township.
E.
Disturbing, tending to disturb or aiding in disturbing
the peace of others by violent, tumultuous, or offensive conduct or
knowingly permitting such conduct upon any premises owned, possessed
and/or controlled by any person.
F.
Wandering abroad and occupying, lodging or sleeping
in any vacant or unoccupied vehicle, structure or property without
owning the same or without the permission of the owner or person entitled
to possession of the same.
G.
Disturbing any congregation or assembly for religious
or other purpose by making noises, by rude and/or indecent behavior
or profane discourse within the place of assembly or near to the same
as to disturb the solemnity or order of the meeting.
H.
Refusing or failing in a prompt, obedient manner to
obey any lawful order of any police officer.
I.
The doing of the following act or acts within any
area designated as a park or open space of the Township:
(1)
Defacing, injuring, displacing, removing or in any
other manner damaging any monument, fence, sign, walkway, lawn, turf,
shrubbery, building, fruit, plant or any other natural or artificial
facility of appurtenances.
(2)
Bathing, wading, swimming, or in any way entering
into any pond or fountain or the fouling or damaging of any pond or
fountain.
(3)
The dropping, scattering or otherwise depositing of
garbage, wastepaper, rubbish or any other things except in receptacles
placed in the park for such materials.
(4)
Starting any fires or permitting any fire to continue
to burn, except in designated areas.
(5)
The hunting, trapping, injuring, killing or otherwise
disturbing of any birds or animals in the park or the damaging, destruction
or removal of any nest or other home of any animal or bird.
(6)
Allowing dogs to run at large. Running at large is defined as being
on any public highway, street, alley, park, or any other public land,
or upon property of another person other than the owner, and not being
accompanied by or under the control of the owner or any other person
having custody of said dog(s). Any person owning, responsible for,
having custody of any dog(s) must have said dog(s) on a leash(es),
not exceeding six feet in entire length, including hand loop, attached
from collar and/or harness, accompanied by a person able to fully
control said dog(s) at all times.
[Amended 2-22-2017 by Ord. No.
670]
(7)
Discharging of firearms or fireworks.
(8)
The consumption, use of or possession of any intoxicating
liquor, or beer or any controlled drug and/or device.
(9)
The violation of any rules and regulations which from
time to time may be adopted by the Township Commissioners with respect
to conduct in any park of the Township.
Any person violating any of the provisions of
this chapter shall be guilty of the offense of disorderly conduct
and, upon conviction thereof in a summary proceeding before any District
Justice, shall be sentenced to pay a fine or penalty not exceeding
$600 and the costs of prosecution and, in default of the payment of
said fine or penalty and/or costs, shall be sentenced to imprisonment
for a term not exceeding 30 days.
