What's in the Town By-Laws? Civility and Public Safety

Last Friday, this website ran a look at some of Lynnfield's older town by-laws, starting off with a focus on some health and sanitation type things.

The idea for the article came from a recent announcement that Lynnfield town officials will have a consultant go through the town legal code in search of archaic and outdated items that need changing.

The first of these two articles focused on topics such as communicable diseases and the keeping of pigs. Today, we go down a slightly different path with a look at some of the standards for behavior that can be found in the town  by-laws.

First of all, here’s why Lynnfield must be such a polite town – you can be fined up to $200 for breaking a by-law which states, “No person shall behave in a rude and/or disorderly manner or use any indecent, profane or insulting language, gestures, or objectionable sounds, or assemble in a disorderly manner a) in any public way, lane, alley, or other public place, or b) in or near any dwelling house, building or other place to which the public has access as invitees.”

The town appears to have adopted the following code of conduct in March of 1957 from state natural resources regulations. Under that statute,

“No person shall annoy another person, or utter any profane, threatening or abusive language or loud outcry, or solicit any subscription or contribution, or have possession of or drink any intoxicating liquor, or play any game of chance, or have possession of any instrument of gambling, or do any obscene or indecent act, or make an oration or harangue or other canvass or solication on the waters of Pillings Pond.” Whether you’re allowed to go do all of this stuff over on Suntaug Lake isn’t quite so clear.

Here’s what else you are prohibited from doing on Pillings Pond: “No person shall throw any stone or other  missile, or have possession of of any firecracker, torpedo or fireworks, except with the written authority of the Board of Selectmen. One is also barred from selling or giving away goods, advertising, or discharging firearms on the waters of Pillings Pond. And if you plan on swimming in Pillings Pond, it had better be “in a costume proper for bathing purposes” and with the consent of the abutting landowner – before 8 p.m. at all times.

Here’s another by-law: “With the exception of fire alarm boxes, hydrants, and street lights, (Above-ground utility systems components, cases, supports and the like) must be painted a neutral green.”

With all that stuff you can’t do on Pillings Pond, here’s one thing that you can apparently do – set up a business to rent boats and canoes for just $5 a year. But if you fail to get that permit – you could face a $20 fine. Same goes for anyone who wants to violate a town conservation by-law. It might set you back $10.

Public Safety in Town

Regarding the town’s police force, one of the duties laid out for every patrolman is to “take particular notice of all places where intoxicating liquors are sold, dance halls and other places of amusement, all licensed persons or places within the town, and also all suspected gambling houses, prize fighting places, mock auction rooms, vendors of lottery tickets and houses of ill fame, and keep a list thereof in his book for reference and report fully to the Chief in relation thereto.”

Town by-law instructs a police patrolman to “watch persons who improperly accost persons of the opposite sex and to do all in their power to protect women and girls from insult or annoyance."

"They shall strictly observe the conduct of all persons of known bad character, fix such mental impressions as will enable recognition of them to be made when met on the street at night, note their movements and the premises they enter, learn their names, residences, occupations and report to the officer in charge at headquarters any and all information obtained.”

Another town by-law goes on to state that “no intoxicating liquor other than such as may be held after search or as evidence may be brought into (police) headquarters on any pretext, except when ordered by a physician.”

In 1951 the town also apparently adopted a state law imposing a $50 fine on “Whoever on Sunday is present at or engages in dancing, exceplk or squre dancing, or any game, sport, fair exposition, play, entertainment or public” that charges admission, if that establishment does not have a permit. Whether that was discarded with other blue laws a few decades back is unclear.