Brotherly Love
By Lauri Apple, Fri., Sept. 20, 2002
"I tried to be polite," Dinneen said. "I thought it would be a warning only. But the officer said, 'We got a zero tolerance policy on these curfew violations.'" Dinneen says the park's gates were open, and other cars were parked in the lot.
Chapter 11-1-5 of city code prohibits people from hanging out in city parks between 10pm-5am unless they're attending a city-sponsored event.
Dinneen said the police officers were friendly; one consistently called him "brother." After receiving his citation, however, Dinneen told the officer there was "nothing brotherly" about issuing citations. "They felt compelled to write $360 in tickets for a guy and a girl talking quietly in a park, during a recession when no one has any money," he complained. Dinneen's court date is Sept. 18.
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