MINUTES 07-02-18 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mr. Bullock expressed support for the spirit of the Ordinance which is to remove barriers to victims reporting crimes and getting the benefit of law enforcement. He asked about how law enforcement will differentiate between the victim and the suspect. Chief Malley stated that the nuisance violation would be associated with the suspect's address. Mr. O'Malley expressed confidence that the administration has not nor would not bring a nuisance violation against a victim but that he has proposed the Ordinance out of an abundance of caution. Mayor Summers explained that nuisance declarations are ultimately the Mayor's decision and that the primary intent is to eliminate patterns of neighborhood disruption. He stated that there are judgement calls throughout the process but the goal is to protect the quality of the neighborhood. Mr. Anderson asked about other situations involving trauma in the home such as abuse /neglect of a child that might be inappropriately result in a nuisance declaration. Mayor Summers explained that such a situation would have to occur three times to be deemed a nuisance. He described a situation of a disruptive adolescent that resulted in multiple police calls. It was decided that a nuisance declaration would have been inappropriate. A more complex intervention involving social services and social workers was initiated. Mr. Anderson expressed concern that the current nuisance law could have a chilling effect on someone calling the police about suspected child abuse or endangerment. Mr. O'Malley explained that the Committee narrowed its discussion to domestic violence as it is the most common. Director Butler explained that by removing domestic violence and stalking from the Code that no nuisance declaration or warning can be made on activities that meet those offenses. On the motion to substitute: Yeas: Anderson, Bullock, George, Litten, O'Leary, O'Malley, Rader Nays: none Motion passed. Ordinance 22 -18 substituted. Motion by Mr. O'Leary, seconded by Mr. Anderson to adopt Ordinance 22 -18 as substituted. Yeas: Anderson, Bullock, George, Litten, O'Leary, O'Malley, Rader Nays: none Discussion: Mr. Bullock expressed support for the Ordinance and the message it communicates to the public. He encouraged the administration to spread the message about this ordinance.