Visit a park in Manchester after 11PM or before 7AM

[J’raxis 270145]

Apparently Manchester parks have a curfew—$50 fine for being in a park after 11 PM or before 7 AM—and they're now actually enforcing this. (What with all the other news coming out about the new police chief, David Mara, should anyone be surprised?)

Sounds easy enough to contest this one—a group of us go over to Veteran's Park after Taproom Tuesday next week?

Some surprised by city's curfew crackdown

By KATHRYN MARCHOCKI
New Hampshire Union Leader Staff

MANCHESTER – Like many other residents, Teddy DeJesus thinks Victory Park is one of the city's prettiest. He often brings his laptop there and surfs the Internet off the city library's wireless connection. He uses it as a shortcut on his way home and enjoys strolling through it with his girlfriend after an evening downtown.

What he didn't know was he could get a ticket for it.

DeJesus, 20, is one of several dozen people who either were cited for violating park curfew or said they were ordered out of parks this month by police stepping up curfew enforcement.

"We weren't causing any trouble or anything. We were just out for a walk," DeJesus said yesterday of the $50 violation police gave him Aug. 9 for being in the park past the 11 p.m. curfew.

More troubling to the aspiring personal trainer was learning the hard way that city parks even have curfews. DeJesus said he got up the next morning and walked around the entire park looking for a sign. There is none.

"It would have been nice if they had given us a warning. There are a lot of people who don't know there is a curfew," added DeJesus, who works at Pitco Frialator Inc. in Bow. He pleaded guilty to the violation in Manchester District Court in exchange for a reduced $25 fine.

In the last eight days alone, two dozen people were on the court docket for violating curfews at Veterans Memorial, Bronstein, Derryfield, Victory and other city parks. Of the 16 set to appear yesterday, several pleaded not guilty and opted to go to trial to protest the lack of a posted curfew hours.

City ordinance sets an 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew at all parks. The curfew begins at 9 p.m. at parks with playground equipment. Violations carry a $50 fine. The money goes into the city's general revenue fund.

Police said they are stepping up enforcement of those who not only violate park curfews, but a host of other ordinances designed to curb nuisance behavior.

"It's the speeding, the loud mufflers, the loud radios, the illegally parked vehicles. These are the kind of things that upset people and they call and complain about it," Deputy Chief Marc Lussier said of the increased crackdown on ordinance violations.

The effort is part of what law enforcers call the "fixing the broken window theory."

"The theory is you can head off a lot of the more serious quality of life issues by addressing the day-in and day-out issues," Lt. Robert Cunha said.

He said police also are ramping up enforcement of ordinances barring alcohol in public parks and lounging in public doorways. It's part of an effort to ensure people who live in urban neighborhoods enjoy the same quality of life and rights as those who live elsewhere in the city, he said.

Park-goers speak up

Park-goers have mixed feelings about the curfew crackdown.

Deborah P. Quayle spread out a picnic lunch on a sunny patch of grass in Victory Park for herself and her two children before they headed to the city library across the street. Nearby, a group of men played whiffle ball and downtown workers grabbed quick lunch breaks on park benches.

"It's just a wonderful place to come," Quayle, 38, explained. Too nice, she added, to restrict its use to 11 p.m. She suggested pushing the curfew back an hour so people who want to enjoy Victory Park for legitimate reasons are not driven away.

"It's a little early, especially with so much stuff going on downtown with the Verizon and all the restaurants. It's a very romantic thing after dinner to walk around a little bit and chat," Quayle said.

Heidi A. Campbell, 29, steered her two children past a row of occupied park benches as they headed to the library. She likes the stepped-up enforcement and thinks 11 p.m. is an appropriate curfew.

"At night, the parks are pitch dark. There shouldn't be anybody in here past a certain time. If there is, something's wrong," Campbell said.

Not far away, about 10 friends hold court on the brick steps in the park's center. All said they suffer from injuries or other disabilities that make them unable to work. They come to the park daily to escape the boredom and stifling summer heat of their tiny apartments and boarding house rooms.

"We just chill here," said Mike Thompson, 32, who recently moved here from Charlestown, Mass. "We're not the type of people who rob and steal and cause trouble."

They support the 11 p.m. curfew but claim some police officers have been pushing them out hours earlier.

He and his friends feel they are being forced out because some view them as riff-raff, even though they said they don't bother anyone or violate ordinances.

"A lot of us are afraid to go home because of the simple fact that there is no one home at night," added Felicia Wilson, 22, of 120 Myrtle St.

Manchester City Library security officer Bonnie Wood-Owens said she has seen an influx of homeless people coming into Victory Park and other smaller parks since the city began pushing them out of Veterans Memorial Park earlier this summer.

"They excluded them from being there because some people didn't like the looks of it," Wood-Owens said.

Veterans Memorial Park has one of the few public restrooms downtown. Many homeless now resort to using the library's restrooms during the day when the shelters are closed, she said.

"We're the only facility they can use for the bathroom and get out of the weather -- and it's really sad," she said.

"You are not going to get rid of the homeless ... not with this economy. I always say, 'There I go if not for the grace of God,'" she added.

But Deputy Lussier said the enhanced enforcement targets only those who cause trouble or violate ordinances.

"If they are not doing anything illegal, we are not going to bother them. It's the people who are drinking and urinating and violating the park curfew and that kind of thing."

As a side note, the "broken window" theory was something Giuliani was in love with when he was mayor of New York City.

[Porcupine_in_MA]

Head over to that park while open carrying...

[J’raxis 270145]

Head over to that park and open carrying...

Good idea!

[KBCraig]

Sounds like a good opportunity to test reactions to several different subjects:

- Young mother pushing a baby stroller
- Avid runner obviously exercising
- Straight couple strolling hand-in-hand
- Gay couple doing the same
- Open carry group

Just to prove the idiocy, it might not be a bad idea to do this at 0630 instead of 2330. With lots of video. ;-)

[error]

This is about cracking down on the homeless. But in the cops' zeal for enforcement, everybody who goes into a park gets caught up in it.

I would cut through Victory Park all the time in the middle of the night on the way to and from the Red Arrow Diner. Apparently I'll get a ticket if I do that again.

[Fluff and Stuff]

Apparently Manchester parks have a curfew—$50 fine for being in a park after 11 PM or before 7 AM—and they're now actually enforcing this. (What with all the other news coming out about the new police chief, David Mara, should anyone be surprised?)

Sounds easy enough to contest this one—a group of us go over to Veteran's Park after Taproom Tuesday next week?

Maybe not drink before hand?

[Dave Ridley]

what day did the union leader article come out?

[Dave Ridley]

what do you guys think about ditching the white mountains litter pickup and instead taking the outlaw puppeteer event to a manchester park at 6 a.m.?
that would violate the newly enforced manchester curfew (blue light operatives have been shaking down harmless parkgoers for being in city parks between 11 and 7...or in some cases between *9* and 7!)

http://nhunderground.com/forum/index.php?topic=15179.0

this would be more timely than the white mountains thing, and nearby, and it won't interfere with all the sept 6 and 7 political activities.  and it goes against a rule that is enforced , rather than one which probably isn't.

http://nhunderground.com/forum/index.php?topic=15179.0

i'm thinking 6 a.m. friday sept. 5. 

thoughts?

[Dave Ridley]

here's a draft note for bureaucrats if we decide to move forward with this... thoughts?  suggested improvements?

Dear ____:

On August 27 the New Hampshire Union Leader reported your organization has begun extorting money from harmless, average citizens..simply for being in Manchester parks between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. 

It's one thing to fine people for causing harm, another to go after them when they pose no threat.  It's one thing to issue warnings, another to force money out of pockets.  Your department aggresses all to often against the harmless, shaking them down instead of protecting them.  But who protects them from you? 

In protest of your questionable practices - and in support of your victims - I will "illegally" enter Veterans' Park at 6:00 a.m. on ______.  I and perhaps others will conduct beautification activities in violation of your greedily enforced curfew.

If fined for this constructive endeavor, I won't pay.  If your enforcers order me to leave, I won't comply.  You'll need to choose between attacking or ignoring us.  If you choose the latter, expect us to return at a later date; expect us to bring more people, expect us to peaceably repeat the "crime."

With increasing disappointment in your authoritarian reign,

Dave Ridley
NHFree.com

[doobie]

I think the WM litter pick up is silly to try to get ticketed.....AFAIK you are violating federal law.  Unless it is on Mt. Washington's peak or in Franconia Notch State Park.  I also highly doubt that they will ticket you or even question you about picking up trash.  You would need to do something more like moving big rocks/actual real maintenance of the park (grooming trails, clearing brush off the trails, etc)..

The park sounds like a better idea.  I would do it open carrying and doing a litter clean up.

what do you guys think about ditching the white mountains litter pickup and instead taking the outlaw puppeteer event to a manchester park at 6 a.m.?
that would violate the newly enforced manchester curfew (blue light operatives have been shaking down harmless parkgoers for being in city parks between 11 and 7...or in some cases between *9* and 7!)

http://nhunderground.com/forum/index.php?topic=15179.0

this would be more timely than the white mountains thing, and nearby, and it won't interfere with all the sept 6 and 7 political activities.  and it goes against a rule that is enforced , rather than one which probably isn't.

http://nhunderground.com/forum/index.php?topic=15179.0

i'm thinking 6 a.m. friday sept. 5. 

thoughts?

[Dave Ridley]

would anyone be willing to be an alternate contact for the media on my tentative news release about this?
i'd like to list your email and phone

[J’raxis 270145]

what day did the union leader article come out?

2008-08-27. I forgot to link to it.

[J’raxis 270145]

what do you guys think about ditching the white mountains litter pickup and instead taking the outlaw puppeteer event to a manchester park at 6 a.m.?

...

i'm thinking 6 a.m. friday sept. 5. 

Sounds good to me.

By default, I'd expect to see them more likely to enforce this law late at night than early in the morning. Late at night is when the drunks and homeless are going to be there; early in the morning is when the joggers and dogwalkers are going to be there. Call my cynical but I think I know who they're actually trying to target with this law.

However, if you're going to make a big media splash about this, since they know we're going to be out there intentionally breaking the curfew, then any time is good.

[J’raxis 270145]

Just one correction, a typo:—

Dear ____:

On August 27 the New Hampshire Union Leader reported your organization has begun extorting money from harmless, average citizens..simply for being in Manchester parks between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. 

It's one thing to fine people for causing harm, another to go after them when they pose no threat.  It's one thing to issue warnings, another to force money out of pockets.  Your department aggresses all too often against the harmless, shaking them down instead of protecting them.  But who protects them from you? 

In protest of your questionable practices - and in support of your victims - I will "illegally" enter Veterans' Park at 6:00 a.m. on ______.  I and perhaps others will conduct beautification activities in violation of your greedily enforced curfew.

If fined for this constructive endeavor, I won't pay.  If your enforcers order me to leave, I won't comply.  You'll need to choose between attacking or ignoring us.  If you choose the latter, expect us to return at a later date; expect us to bring more people, expect us to peaceably repeat the "crime."

With increasing disappointment in your authoritarian reign,

Dave Ridley
NHFree.com

[J’raxis 270145]

would anyone be willing to be an alternate contact for the media on my tentative news release about this?
i'd like to list your email and phone

Sure.

+1.603.858.9328
olson –@– jraxis·com