SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
Thanks to the newly adopted Notice of Exclusion (Reno Municipal Code 8.23.070) the Reno Police Department is responding to fewer calls for service in Reno parks.
The Notice of Exclusion is a way to keep individuals that continually commit crimes from returning to City of Reno parks. When an individual commits a crime in a City of Reno Park, they are either cited or arrested. Along with a citation or an arrest, an officer can give a Notice of Exclusion, which can result in a warning, 90 day exclusion, 120 day exclusion, or 180 day exclusion.
In the first two months of implementation, calls for service in many parks have dropped. From June 1 through August 1, 2011, calls for service in five major downtown parks (Broadhead, West Street Plaza, Wingfield, Barbara Bennett, and Bicentennial) decreased by 18 percent compared to the same time last year. To date, there have been 66 warnings and 21 exclusions from City of Reno parks.
In September 2010, Reno Police officers from the Downtown Enforcement Team (DET) began looking at ways to increase citizen and tourist enjoyment in City of Reno parks by creating a safe and friendly atmosphere. DET officers worked in collaboration with City of Reno’s Attorney’s Office, City Clerk’s office, Parks Department, and Records Division along with the ACLU to revise an old Municipal Code and create the Notice of Exclusion. The Reno City Council adopted the Notice of Exclusion in spring of 2011 and the Reno Police Department began enforcing it on June 1, 2011.
The Reno Police Department is nationally recognized for their community oriented policing and problem solving techniques which emphasizes partnerships between the police and community to improve quality of life.
