HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-10-16 19-394 ORDINANCETitle, Ordinance
19-394 10/16/2019
CITY COUNCIL ACTION
Council Meeting Date: October 16, 2019
Item No: 19-394
Responsible Dept: Legal
Action Requested: Ordinance Map/Lot: N/A
Amending Chapter 215, Police Regulations, by Instituting a Fee for Service for Non -Emergency Calls to the
Police Department
Summary
This ordinance amendment would allow the Police Department to charge institutions a fee for non -emergency
calls that go beyond what is normally and reasonably expected of a police officer.
The Police Department has experienced an increase in calls to group homes, residential care facilities, and
temporary low -barrier sheltering locations. In some cases, these calls are for non -emergency matters that
should be within the institution's capacity to handle. These include asking the police to tell clients to follow
house rules, not to use coarse language, and to mediate other non -emergency issues.
These types of calls can divert or delay police response to emergency calls. The fee for service is intended to
deter excessive or unnecessary use of police resources for non -emergency situations. On October 7, 2019, the
Government Operations Committee recommended that a section be added to require the Police Chief meet
with the owners to resolve the issues with non -emergency calls.
Committee Action
Committee: Government Operations Committee
Action:
Staff Comments & Approvals
Meeting Date: October 7, 2019
For: 5
Against: 0
cpja� ry�- Lg ��7m
City Manager City Solicitor Finance Director
Introduced for: First Reading and Referral
CITY COUNCIL ORDINANCE
Date: October 16, 2019
Assigned to Councilor: Davitt
19-394 10/16/2019
ORDINANCE, Amending Chapter 215, Police Regulations, by Instituting a Fee for Service for Non -Emergency
Calls to the Police Department
WHEREAS, institutions are increasingly calling the police for assistance in dealing with non -emergency
situations for which Police Department is not needed;
WHEREAS, institutions should have the capacity to handle non -emergency situations that are not within the
typical scope of police duties;
WHEREAS, individuals cannot always be expected to have the same capacity, and the City does not wish to
deter them from calling the police;
WHEREAS, police resources are limited, and wherever possible need to be saved for police duties and
emergency situations;
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BANGOR AS FOLLOWS, THAT
Chapter 215, section 215-14 is added to the Code of the City of Bangor as follows:
4 215-14 Fee for service.,
The Police Department is authorized to levy a fee for services set out in the Schedule of Fees in accordance
with Chapter 109 of this Code for calls to institutions for non -emergency services that go beyond those
normally and reasonably expected in the course of police duties. Before a fee is assessed, the Police
,Department shall reach out to the institution concerned and attempt to work with them to resolve the issues
resulting in calls.
Additions are underlined, deletions stFuEk hFeugh.
IN CITY COUNCIL
OCTOBER 16,2019
COrd 19-394
FIRST READING
CI Y CLE
OCTOBER 28,2019
Cord 19-394
MOTION MADE AND SECONDED FOR PASSAGE
VOTE: 8-0
COUNCILORS VOTING YES: DAVITT, GRAHAM, SPRAGUE, SUPICA,TREMBLE,WESTON,NICHOLS
COUNCILORS VOTING NO: NONE
PASSED
�'6- - -i �'j, .
I CLE