Windham – On April 13, 2020 in a council, all committees meeting held through Zoom, Windham Mayor Scott Garrett issued a Proclamation that sets a curfew for the village of Windham. The curfew is from 10 pm until 5am seven days a week and is effective April 14, 2020. According to Garrett, this is a “soft” curfew.
This means that if you’re found on the streets doing your normal business, going to and from work, getting gas or food at Circle K, doing laundry, delivering pizza, etc. you are fine. Now if you have a car load of people and you’re out cruising, the streets, (meaning police have witnessed you going through town repeatedly) you will be pulled over and asked to please go home and stay there. Although not using it as an excuse to ticket you for something else, Garrett said, if you happen to have a visible open container, drug paraphernalia, smell like you’ve been drinking, etc. you will be ticketed and or arrested as the situation warrants. Same protocol for groups of kids/adults walking around. Police will ask you to disperse and go home.
Garrett says, it’s a tool to help enforce social distancing (as mandated by Governor DeWine) by disbursing groups of people out and about late at night with no particular place to go. The disbursing of groups also curbs the potential for late-night criminal activity and enforcing social distancing that the state is mandating to slow the spread of the Coronavirus. Garrett says, this is a temporary measure that will be suspended once the stay home order is lifted by DeWine.
After talking with Police Chief Eric Breiding, he pretty much said the same thing. The proclamation’s primary reason is to enforce social distancing and slow the spread of COVID-19. Breiding went on to say that 99% of the village won’t even notice any change and will not be affected by it at all. The ones that it will affect will be told to go home and stay there. Habitual noncompliance will result in stronger penalties.
Although Garrett states it’s a “soft” curfew, the written proclamation is worded differently. In section five of the written proclamation, it states “During this time no person shall be driving or walking outside within the Village of Windham for any reason other than the following (a) medical emergencies where medical treatment is sought (b) essential employees who are driving to or from their place of employment.”
Other parts of the proclamation are section four, the village of Windham government buildings shall be closed to public access. Section six, the income tax due on April 15, 2020 is extended until July 15, 2020. The time within which to make quarterly Windham income tax payments shall also be extended to July 15, 2020.
Section seven, says “All citizens are called upon and directed to comply with necessary emergency measures to cooperate with public officials and emergency services personnel in executing emergency operational plans and to obey and comply with lawful direction of properly identified emergency personnel.”
Section eight, (paraphrased) A copy of this proclamation will be distributed to news media and other organizations in order to bring the contents to the attention of the general public. A copy is filed with the fiscal officer and it will be distributed to others as necessary to ensure proper implementation of the declarations.
The entire proclamation will be available at the fiscal officer’s office (call first 330 326 2622 as buildings are closed to the public) and on the web site www.windhamvillage.com for viewing.
