Explore Harford: Bel Air police tackling public urination

Town also looking at placing speed cameras in school zones

By Bryna Zumer

Posted 8/06/09

With nightlife in Bel Air heating up, the Board of Town Commissioners is hoping to crack down on one related nuisance: public urination.

In addition, the town is taking the first steps toward the possible installation of speed cameras in school zones.

At its work session Tuesday, the board said it will be voting as early as Monday to add public urination to the ordinance regarding prohibited conduct on public property or in public view.

That would allow police to write up violators for a criminal infraction. The ordinance makes it illegal to eat, drink or play music in a public parking lot or congregate for those purposes.

Police Chief Leo Matrangola said officers started noticing a spike in cases of public urination and counted six violations over the past weekend, starting Friday.

He said it is related to tavern activity.

"All this is late-night stuff, after midnight," he said.

Matrangola also announced that the police department will be distributing a traffic survey about the possibility of installing speed cameras in school zones.

The survey will be sent to about 200 households near Bel Air High, Bel Air Elementary, John Carroll and St. Margaret schools, including parts of Route 22, Giles Street, Idlewild Street, Linwood Avenue, Hickory Avenue and Kenmore Avenue.

For more details, see Friday's edition of The Aegis.

via exploreharford.com

Posted via web from Richard's posterous