City to Enforce Additional Park Rules During Week of RNC

The city of Lakewood is outlining some park rules that will be in effect from July 16 through July 23, 2016.

“We want citizens and visitors to enjoy our parks,” said Mayor Michael Summers. “But with tens of thousands of visitors to our region we want to make sure safety remains at the forefront — for our residents and visitors alike. We recognize that our parks can be vulnerable to misuse and we want to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Park Hours:

• Lakewood Park: Sunrise to 11 p.m.
• All Other Parks: Sunrise to one hour after sunset

All containers including but not limited to coolers, ice chests and backpacks brought into the parks are subject to inspection by police or other city personnel.

The following items shall be prohibited:

1. Lumber larger than 2 inches wide and a quarter-inch thick, including supports for signs;
2. Metal, plastic, or other hard material larger than ¾” thick and 1/8” in wall thickness including pipe and tubing;
3. Any air rifle, air pistol, paintball gun, blasting caps, switchblade or automatic knife, knife having a blade two and one-half (2-1/2) inches in length or longer, cestus, billy, blackjack, sword, saber, hatchet, axe, slingshot, BB gun, pellet gun, wrist shot, blackjack, metal knuckles, nun chucks, mace, iron buckle, axe handle, shovel, or other instrumentality used to cause property or personal damage;
4. Any dangerous ordnance, weapon, or firearm that is prohibited by the laws of the State of Ohio;
5. Any explosives, explosive device, or incendiary device;
6. Fireworks and rockets;
7. Drones and other unmanned aircraft systems;
8. Containers of bodily fluids;
9. Aerosol cans;
10. Mace, Pepper Spray or other chemical irritant;
11. Umbrellas with metal tips;
12. Any projectile launchers, such as water guns and water cannons;
13. Rope, chain, cable, strapping, wire, string, line, tape, or any other similar material, in lengths greater than 6’;
14. Glass bottles, ornaments, light bulbs, ceramic vessels, and any other frangible container, regardless of whether the container holds any substance;
15. Locks including, without limitation, padlocks, bicycle locking devices, chain locks or similar devices, but not including: (i) an integral component of a conveyance or structure; (ii) locks when utilized by the owner of private real property to secure permanent or temporary fencing; or (iii) locks attached to a bicycle;
16. Any gas mask or similar device designed to filter all air breathed by the wearer in an attempt to protect the respiratory tract and/or face against irritating or noxious gasses or other material. This prohibition on gas masks shall not apply to any person wearing a medical oxygen mask that fits over the nose and mouth of the person and provides oxygen from an oxygen tank to the person;
17. Tents and other shelters, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, mattresses, cots, hammocks, bivy sacks, or stoves;
18. Lasers;
19. Non-plastic containers, bottles, cans, or thermoses;
20. Ladders;
21. Grappling hooks, sledgehammers, hammers, and crowbars;
22. Canned goods;
23. Any other item determined by the Chief of Police or Director of Public Safety to be a clear and present danger to the safety of others.

Violation of these rules may result in prosecution and park ban. (LCO §905.98, 905.99)