Violators of large gathering ban in Lawrence face max fine of $500, month in jail
The Lawrence city commission in a special meeting Thursday passed an ordinance cracking down people who violate COVID-19 health orders banning mass gatherings, the city announced in a release.
City commissioners took up the issue to address community health concerns after recent videos showed crowded parties on weekends near the University of Kansas in violation of the emergency order issued earlier this month. That order, an attempt to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, in part banned gatherings of more than 45 individuals.
Those guilty of violating the order will face a fine of $500 and up to a month in jail. Cases will be prosecuted in municipal court.
Lawrence police have the authority to enforce the new ordinance and issue citations, the city said.
City commissioners authorized the city manager to execute a memorandum of understanding with the University of Kansas to jointly enforce the ordinance.
The law enforcement agencies will work with KU officials who may evaluate whether any violations involve its code of conduct.
“Most people are complying with public health orders, and we are grateful for those efforts to keep our community safe, especially those most vulnerable to coronavirus,” city manager Craig Owens said in the release.
“It is unfortunate that this kind of enforcement action is required for some people to do the right thing, but the activities of the past few weeks have shown that we cannot rely solely on compliance,” he said. “Our law enforcement agencies and our partners at KU are prepared to take the necessary actions in order to protect the public health.”
In addition to the city ordinance, Douglas County residents can be prosecuted under state law for maintaining a public nuisance or permitting a condition to exist that endangers the public. The Douglas County District Court would handle the prosecution of the misdemeanor charge.
The city’s new ordinance, which goes into effect Saturday and expires at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 31, mirrors the state law.
The ordinance resolves a disagreement between the health department and police over who should enforce the emergency order. Earlier this week, the health department had said enforcement was up to local law enforcement.
Police, however, said their ability to enforce the order was limited by law, referring the public to the health department and the Douglas County District Attorney’s office.
People can report their concerns about people violating the mass gatherings ban to Lawrence police on their non-emergency number, 785-832-7509, which is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Or they can contact the University of Kansas, which has off-campus jurisdiction with its students when there’s an on-campus safety component. People with concerns about a person or group not complying with COVID-19 health and safety requirements can be made at unmasked.ku.edu.
People submitting reports are asked to include as much information as possible including pictures, video, names, time, date and location.
This story was originally published September 18, 2020 at 11:29 AM.
