As the warmer weather returns, the Mansfield Division of Police would like to remind all motorists to exercise caution and obey posted speed limits on Park Ave W. Each summer, the “Mile” experiences increased reports of speeding and drag racing, which pose serious safety risk to residents, pedestrians and other drivers.
We would like to remind everyone that speeding and other forms of reckless driving will not be tolerated and enforcement efforts will be increased in order to keep the community safe. We would also like to take this time to remind everyone of the cruising ordinance that went into effect last year. A copy of City of Mansfield Ordinance 331.48 “Cruising Prohibited” is included below.
Residents are encouraged to report any suspicious or dangerous driving activity by calling the non-emergency police line at 419-522-1234.
Drive Safe!
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331.48 Cruising Prohibited
(a) Definitions:
(1) “Designated Area” means that area of the City bound by Home Road on the west, Trimble Road on the east, Park Avenue West on south, and West Forth Street on the north.
(2) “Designated Hours” means the time between 8:00 PM and 3:00 AM from Friday evening into Saturday morning and Saturday evening into Sunday morning.
(3) “Traffic Control Point” means a reference point on a street within the Designated area within the Designated hours selected by a police officer for the purpose of enforcing this section.
(4) “Cruising” means driving a motor vehicle on a street past a Traffic Control Point, within a Designated Area, within Designated Hours, by the Mansfield Division of Police, more than two times in any two-hour period. The passing of a designated control point a third time under the aforesaid conditions shall constitute unnecessary repetitive driving and therefor a violation of this section.
(b) Cruising Prohibited. No person shall engage in unnecessary repetitive driving, also known for the purpose of this section as cruising.
(c) For purposes of this prohibition, upon a determination that a vehicle is Cruising, the person having control and/or ownership of the Cruising motor vehicle shall be considered the person cruising, without regard as to whether that person was actually driving the motor vehicle each time it passed the traffic control point.
(d) “Control or Ownership of a motor vehicle” shall be either the owner of the vehicle as stated on the vehicle registration, if said owner is present in the vehicle at the time of the violation, or if the owner is not present in the vehicle, the person operating the vehicle at the time of the violation of this section.
(e) Exclusions. This section shall not apply to any municipal, emergency, police, fire, ambulance or other governmental vehicle when such vehicle is being operated in an official capacity. In addition, this section shall not apply to any licensed public transportation vehicle, other business vehicles being driven for business or commercial purposes, or to residents of the designated area traveling to a specific destination.
(f) Penalty. Whoever violates any of the provisions of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor on a first offense; on a second offense within one year after the first offense, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree; on each subsequent offense within one year after the first offense, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.