A sign notifying visitors of the hours at a Boca Raton, FL city park. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
Boca Raton city council members last week adopted an ordinance laying out new regulations for handling incidents of trespassing on city property, including parks. The ordinance, introduced last month, brings the city into alignment with state laws, but also recognizes “an increasing need for consistent, constitutional procedures to address unlawful conduct occurring in city parks, beaches, recreational facilities, and other public spaces.”
Though rarely reported in the press since the incidents are overwhelmingly minor in nature, arrests for trespassing are relatively common in Boca Raton – usually related to either petty crimes or vagrancy issues in parks and other facilities. On occasion, residents have brought forth the issue to city council members at meetings calling for increased enforcement…