Township of Skippack, PA Chapter 132 Peace and Good Order

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Skippack 6-8-1994 by Ord. No. 135.1. Amendments noted where applicable.]

§ 132-1 Disturbance of the peace prohibited.

A. Disturbance of the peace is hereby prohibited within the Township of Skippack.

B. "Disturbance of the peace" shall be defined as conduct, with intent to cause public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm or the reckless creating of a risk thereof, by any person if he/she:

(1) Engages in fighting or threatening to fight, assault or harass or in violent or tumultuous behavior.

(2) Makes unreasonable noise.

(3) Uses obscene language or makes an obscene gesture.

(4) Creates a hazardous or physically offensive condition by any act which serves no legitimate purpose.

C. As used in Subsections B and D hereof, the word "public" means affecting or likely to affect persons in a place to which the public or a substantial group has access; among the places included are highways, streets, schools, apartment houses, places of business or amusement, any neighborhood or any premises which are open to the public.

D. Without limiting the generality of Subsection B above, no person shall:

(1) Commit or engage in any willful act causing or tending to cause a disturbance of the peace and good order of the township.

(2) Fight or quarrel or incite others to fight or quarrel.

(3) Publicly make use of obscene or indecent language or gestures.

[Amended 5-14-2008 by Ord. No. 316]

(4) Make unnecessary use of any siren, bell, whistle or other noisemaking device.

(5) Operate any motor vehicle in any way that shall cause any loud, unnecessary or unusual noise.

(6) Allow a dog to bark for an unreasonable length of time: It shall be illegal within the Township of Skippack for any person or persons to own, possess, harbor or control any dog or animal which makes any noise continuously and/or incessantly for a period of 15 minutes or makes such noise intermittently for 30 minutes or more to the disturbance of any person any time of the day or night, regardless of whether the animal or dog is physically situated in or upon private property, said noise being a nuisance, provided that at the time the animal or dog is making such noise, no person is trespassing or threatening to trespass upon private property in or upon which the animal or dog is situated, nor is there any other legitimate cause which justifiably provoked the animal or dog.

(7) Operate a radio, record player, television set, musical instrument, CD player, DVD player or any music-, speech- or noise-emanating device in a manner which unnecessarily disturbs the peace and quiet of the neighborhood to the annoyance of peaceable residents nearby or traveling upon any street or alley or being lawfully upon any public grounds in the Township, whereby the public peace is broken or disturbed or the traveling public is annoyed.

[Amended 5-14-2008 by Ord. No. 316]

(8) Maintaining lights of such intensity, prominence, color or blinking thereof at such time of night as to interfere unnecessarily and unreasonably with the safe operation of motor vehicles or with the reasonable enjoyment and use of dwellings or houses.

(9) Obstruct the free passage of pedestrians or vehicles upon any of the public sidewalks or streets of the township.

(10) Obstruct, molest or interfere with any person lawfully in any public place.

(11) At nighttime maliciously congregate or prowl around a dwelling and/or house or any other place used wholly or in part for living or dwelling purposes, belonging to or occupied by another.

§ 132-2 Violations and penalties.

[Amended 8-26-1998 by Ord. No. 227]

Any person who violates or permits a violation of this chapter, upon being found liable therefor in a civil enforcement proceeding, shall pay a fine of not more than $600, plus all court costs, including reasonable attorney's fees, incurred by the township in the enforcement of this chapter. No judgment shall be imposed until the date of the determination of the violation by the District Justice and/or Court. It the defendant neither pays nor timely appeals the judgment, the township may enforce the judgment pursuant to the applicable rules of civil procedure. Each day a violation exists shall constitute a separate offense. Further, the appropriate officers or agents of the township are hereby authorized to seek equitable relief, including injunction, to enforce compliance herewith.