Lynn officials look to lay down law on loiterers

LYNN – A persistent loitering problem outside of Thurgood Marshall Middle School has prompted city officials to look into amending the current loitering ordinance for the safety of students.Reported gang activity and gang recruitment of young students at the school have officials up in arms over the situation.According to city attorney James Lamanna, the current ordinance applies to anyone acting unreasonably or endangering pedestrians or motor vehicle traffic on streets, sidewalks, schoolyards, parks, playgrounds or any other public place. Violation of the ordinance carries a $100 fine for each offense and a maximum of 50 hours community service.The proposed amendment would prohibit a person from loitering within 1,000 feet of a school 30 minutes before classes start and 30 minutes after classes are dismissed, with a stiffer penalty of up to $300 and the possibility of being arrested if found in violation.Ward 3 City Councilor Darren Cyr said he met with Marshall Principal Richard Cowdell about a month ago to figure out an action plan.”Some of these kids that are hanging around don’t even go to the schools,” he said. “And it’s especially bothersome with schools that are in suburban settings where people live all around.”Cyr said he hopes other principals will become involved and speak in favor of the revised ordinance at the upcoming public hearing.Lamanna said the revised ordinance would give police another tool to curb undesirable people from local schools.In addition, Cowdell said the tools would also help Marshall’s School Resource Officer Larry Wentzell.”Without an ordinance in place, the law doesn’t allow the SRO to take action, so it’s kind of hard,” he said. “So we figured this would have to have some teeth to it if we were going to propose it.”Cowdell said the older groups of kids who frequent the grounds, some of whom are affiliated with local gangs, are often viewed as the cool crowd by the younger students.”I don’t know if all of the kids are in gangs, but they are still not role models,” he said. “But the majority of the kids have either been excluded from Marshall in the past, are older, taking classes at an alternative school or just not in school anymore and they tend to gather outside on the street or on the corner waiting.”Cowdell said he hopes to have the ordinance in place before the summer months roll around, which is when the delinquent group of kids tend to flock to the school.”I don’t know if the ordinance is actually going to stop these kids from approaching students, but it will at least keep them 1,000 feet away and there is the chance that they might just go away,” he said. “If this passes, it will be great not only for Marshall, but for all schools in the city.”