The whole idea behind this ordinance is that we don’t want to give a $500 fine, we don’t want to do community service, because we don’t want a problem.”

Nathan Calouro

The Bristol Town Council put into effect a new ordinance combatting “unruly gatherings” during its meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 1.

The amendment to Chapter 17 of the Bristol Town Code resulted from an expressed need for change from residents concerned about the increasing and intensifying occurrences of public drunkenness, public urination, trespassing and disturbances in their neighborhoods.

“We’ve heard from our community and our residents from all over the town and it’s definitely that we need to take a step forward on this,” said Vice Chairman Timothy Sweeney.

Modeled after a similar ordinance in Narragansett, both property owners and occupants will now receive an official notice in the mail as an initial warning. Should a second offense occur during a given time frame — for occupants, between September and May or June and August, depending on the date of the first offense; for landlords, three years — violators, including anyone present with implied consent at the gathering, will be subjected to a $500 fine. Additionally, community service will be issued to both occupants and attendees — 25 hours for a second intervention, 50 hours for a third — and in applicable cases, the dean of Roger Williams University will be notified.

“The whole idea behind this ordinance is that we don’t want to give a $500 fine, we don’t want to do community service, because we don’t want a problem,” said Chairman Nathan Calouro. 

At the previous meeting on July 11, members of the Town Council expressed hope that passing this law will be the first step in improving the existing conditions here in Bristol, as it has for Narragansett.

“This is a unified effort. There’s a lot of conversations that happened with the solicitor, with the police chief. My colleagues and I in government sitting here today all want these things to be better. I don’t want to suggest this is a silver bullet, because it is not, but I do believe that steps like this will help us go down the right path,” Chairman Calouro had said.

The council voted unanimously in favor of the new law.