Cognizant of Mayor Fuller’s request for people to be careful about Covid social distancing violations, I just called the dispatcher at the Newton Police to report a gathering of some 40 college-age men practicing football with no masks on Weeks Field. (The photo is a portion of the group.) I pointed out, too, that the group almost certainly does not have a field permit. The dispatcher, always polite, said, “I don’t know if we respond to those issues. I’ll ask my sergeant, and if we do, we’ll send someone over.”
I said, “And if you don’t respond, who will?” She said, “You can call the Health Department in the morning.”
Sorry, but that doesn’t cut it as an appropriate municipal response. Those of us involved in youth and high school sports are obeying and enforcing very strict requirements for all the games and practices. The last thing we need is for non-permitted, non-compliant players making use of T-accessible Newton park and athletic facilities, risking the public health and potentially leading to a closure of such facilities.
It’s time for the Mayor and her departments to work out an appropriate real-time protocol for handling complaints of this nature.
Did y’all see what he did there, with that “T-accessible” bit? He’s talkin’ ’bout the outsiders, like me in the last row of the 59 bus, coming into town and messing things up for you bluebloods.
This post reminds me of my hero, Clint Eastwood’s character in Gran Torino. Get the hell off my lawn!
I’m curious as to why you called the police. Did you suspect a crime was occurring?
It feels like you have two issues, one of which involves the department of health and the other the department of recreation.
I hope nobody asks you to leash your dog. (Which is totally unfair – I respect a lot of what you write, but this is out of line).
I don’t have a dog.
I called the police because they are on duty 24×7 and have the ability to respond, whereas other agencies close at the end of the business day. (It was after 5pm.) I don’t know if it’s a crime to violate the state Covid guidelines regarding this kind of unmasked assembly of a large number of people, but it certainly something that has been enforced in other cities.
With regard to a formal group playing on a Newton athletic field without a permit, that, too, is a violation of city rules.
What do you propose as the remedy (after business hours) for these kinds of violations? Call the next day saying some unknown group of people were here yesterday? Where does that lead? What does that accomplish?
Or maybe you think I should act as one-person vigilante and go over to a group of 40+ young athletes and tell them they have to leave?
Now, please explain again why you think I was out of line.
Paul, are you worried that this group of people at no risk from the virus are going get it and infect people in Boston? You seem to suggest that they weren’t from Newton.
Pulling a permit for public fields in Newton gives you the right to kick people off who don’t have a permit. I sincerely hope you aren’t suggesting that we have the police in Newton mobilize to prevent touch football games.
God this is just gross.
@ Craig “are you worried that this group of people at no risk from the virus are going get it and infect people in Boston. You seem to suggest that they weren’t from Newton.?”
Wow!
1) Of course they are at risk.
2) Exactly where did you infer that Paul suggested that they weren’t from Newton?
Claire,
Whether you want to admit it or not college kids and athletes in general are not at risk from this virus. Lying to people and pretending they are is not an effective strategy for mitigation.
In Paul’s post he mentioned that Weeks was on the T line and therefore Covid scofflaws from surrounding communities might be tempted to come and breathe their covid on Newton fields.
Craig, this wasn’t a touch football game. This is a professional organization that charges people to be trained in football. They intentionally pick a field (e.g. T-accessible) that makes it easy for their customers to get to and attend the training session.
Further, I don’t know why you say “college kids and athletes in general are not at risk from this virus.” That was not relevant to my point, but it is way off base. Just do a Google search on “Covid athletic teams” for many examples.
But, let’s get back to my main point: If the city has Covid-related rules about groups of people associating and further has rules about requiring a field permit (especially for for-profit organizations), there should be a way for a citizen to report a violation and get a timely action by a city agency.
@Paul
If you don’t understand how using a paramilitary police force to enforce things that you believe are “rules” at your whim is an issue, I suggest that you pull your head out of the sand and pay attention to the world around you.
How could you lodge a complaint? Speak to the Board of Health or Recreation department – when they are next open – about your concerns regarding enforcement of their regulations. These are their rules to enforce (if they even are rules) and they should have the responsibility to decide how and when to enforce them.
If you don’t like how Health and Recreation are prosecuting their missions, take it up with the Mayor or City Council.
There is no place here for you as a privileged member of the community to exact your will on another group of citizens merely because you don’t approve of their behavior.
I agree that there should be some protocols in place when reporting these types of violations, but you lost me here: “making use of T-accessible Newton park and athletic facilities.”
1) Are you insinuating that the rule breakers couldn’t possibly be from Newton? There are plenty of careless idiots in Newton, I see them every day.
2) What difference does it make? These are public parks.
You just sound classist.
Do I wish people would follow the rules? Yes. Do I wish we would enforce the rules? Yes. But you could have made your point better.
Donald,
RE: “‘rules’ at your whim.” And “if they even are rules.” These are not my rules. They are the City’s rules. If there is a reported violation after business hours, someone should be empowered to investigate and enforce them in real time. Read my last sentence: “It’s time for the Mayor and her departments to work out an appropriate real-time protocol for handling complaints of this nature.” See, I followed your advice to take it up with the Mayor. Publicly, here.
And where does this come from, characterizing me as “a privileged member of the community?” I’m no more privileged that anyone else in this city. Please, just stick to the merits of the issue and avoid casting aspersions as to power or motive.
MMQC: It’s not classist to suggest that a for-profit organization chose to use a field that is T-accessible to make it easier for their customers to get to the field. Apologies if that distracted from the main point, but it was relevant in this case.
Not sure I understand people’s criticism here. The fact that there is an organized group using the field without a permit and in clear violation of the rules required of youth, school, and other facility users is problematic. Other towns and cities have attempted to deal with issues of crowding and/or improper use of facilities such as beaches or popular parks by limiting parking and the like. Mayor Walsh in Boston has been threatening to close city parks because people are gathering improperly. I’d rather see the city enforce clear violations of its gathering rules so that those groups that are acting appropriately – like the city’s many youth leagues, for example – can continue to access these resources. We all risk loss of these resources when there are bad actors. It appears there isn’t clear responsibility within the city to check out and enforce violations. So, if something seems off, who is a citizen to call? To me, that was the point of this post.
Ok boomer.
The police are not your personal army and I am proud that they correctly referred you to the appropriate department. I give their response an A.
If you think there should be a real time enforcement of park permits…sounds like a super fun dystopia you have planned.
I admit, I was disappointed and disconcerted to see a large group of teens unmasked at the skate park in Waltham today (it might be in Newton – right on the line). But it never occurred to me to call the police…
We’ve all seen those teenage groups. That’s not the issue here. This was an organized commercial group that chose not to get a permit, chose not to pay for the use of a city field, and violated the covid rules that every other organized group is following. Shouldn’t the city be holding them to the standard of its own rules?
You called the police, seriously?
Call the mayor at city hall or your local councilor.
Vicki Danberg is your councilor.
you’re in ward 6 right?
Unfortunately, this is exactly the response we deserve from our police after the many months of demonizing them. discussing the defunding or “reimagining” of their work or branding them all as racists. Our city councilors and mayor should have these issues dumped on their socially distanced, politically correct door steps, not the Newton Police.
The police dispatcher was right, call
the health department during business hours (9am -5pm)this is an issue for the health department, not the police department.
Not a bit of sympathy here.
Actions have consequences.
Use of Newton’s fields by organized groups requires a permit.
http://www.newtonma.gov/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?t=40730.02&BlobID=105587
This is needed so the City can monitor usage and ensure that our fields are not used more than they should be. It is also one of the few ways the city can collect much needed revenue for field maintenance. When overused, grass fields are damaged and do not recover. Most fields in Newton suffer from over-use. We have too many users on too few fields.
Newton is already under funding maintenance so use of our fields by unauthorized groups results in Newton subsidizing for profit businesses. Most youth athletic groups contribute to field maintenance. Weeks is one of the fields that our youth programs pay to help maintain.
I agree the police are not best enforcement option, but they are the only option we currently have. There is no other department in Newton that can respond to these complaints after business hours. Newton Park and Recreation does not have “park rangers”.
@Justin-
The funding and maintenance of our athletic fields is also not under the purview of the Newton Police Dept-
that would be the Parks and Recreation Dept. That would be a non city hall call, but probably a 9-5 business hrs deal. Any after hours calls should directed to your ward council member, or the mayor, they all have reachable numbers. Better yet, call the parks and Recreation commission member that specifically represents your ward. Their phone numbers should all be listed at the city web site. Park funding, maintenance and use is not a police issue.
We have a city that is littered with dozens of commissions and committees that represent every city stakeholder six ways to Sunday. Make them do the jobs they volunteered for were appointed to, or were elected to do. These are in effect our “park rangers”. Make use of them. That’s what they are for.
That’s why they are called public servants.
Paul Green, a dog bite or attack at a dog park or in any public park/trail on conservation land which is under the control of Parks and Recs or Newton Conservation Commission would result in a call to the Animal Control which is part of the NPD. I don’t see how this is different since it really requires real time response. I think Paul Levy’s point is that the city hasn’t set up a response mechanism.
A rule against group gatherings in toothless without enforcement. We have all read stories about large groups coming together for weddings, funerals or parties and it is always the police who enforce
@Claire-
It looks like Paul is already efforting that project.
@Paul Levy– If the police had responded, what did you expect them to do?
Trespassing on City property, which is what it sounds like this group was doing, is certainly within the purview of the NPD.
@Lisap-
Right you are. Here’s an idea:
Each parks and recreation commission member from their respective ward should be tasked with periodic
sweeps of the parks within their purview to determine if any park users there are “trespassing.” The ward park commission member can then forward any violations directly to the police, rather than someone like Paul Levy having to get involved. I think Paul’s issue is with outsiders using our parks rather than any health concerns or public safety
@Paul Green – “Each parks and recreation commission member from their respective ward should be tasked with periodic sweeps of the parks within their purview to determine if any park users there are “trespassing.”
OK, but that’s not an option right now, or when Paul noticed these people on the field.
Also, re: “efforting.”
That’s not a word.
That’s certainly true! In fact:
Q. Can anyone identify the source of the following statements?
A. They were all made by V14’s very own Paul Levy in various posts griping about encroachment on Weeks Park by anyone other than Newton Girls’ Soccer, Newton Youth Soccer, and/or Paul Levy himself!
FWIW, Paul discusses this extremely powerful “control the narrative” and “let’s only talk about what’s important to me” strategy in his book, How a Blog Held Off the Most Powerful Union in America.
BTW Paul, with regard to your claim that these were “college-age men” who were paying to be “trained in football”: If they’re genuinely college football players, then they should be receiving position-specific training from their own athletic programs, not from some private fly-by-night setup using Weeks Park. And if they’re not college football players then who the heck do these “college-age men” hope to join, the Montreal Alouettes? Bottom line, this sounds like a dippy and unsustainable business plan, so I don’t think you need to worry about their long-term use of your precious field. Case closed!
On the other hand, maybe you’re actually referring to some outfit like Boston Athletic Training, in which case the players were probably high schoolers, and kudos to you for being the neighborhood narc.
But rather than casting aspersions, let’s get back to your main point, i.e. finding a mechanism for voicing your complaint. For this, I would strongly recommend the wondrous universe that is Facebook. Over here in Needham, the town’s obstructionist selectman administers a townwide FB page which he originally used to try to control the town’s political narrative, but which subsequently devolved into a forum for little old ladies to complain about other people’s behavior. It’s truly perfect for real-time 24/7 complaints such as yours – have you checked to see if a Newton analogue exists?
@Paul Green,
One thing I have noticed from this pandemic is that people are displaying varying tolerance levels when they perceive public behavior that is not in compliance with what is understood to be the new norm of how we are supposed to behave in public. I’ve read of people taking photographs of children in public who weren’t socially distanced. I saw and heard a woman on the Carriage Lane scream at my neighbor because he was on his front lawn without a mask on – though she was at least 25 feet away. I made the mistake of going to the Franklin Park Zoo thinking it would be a relaxing, safe place to visit only to find that a great many people neither wore masks nor made any effort to keep their distance. There’s a lot of anxiety, frustration and fear going around, and I keep trying to remind myself that we all need to be kinder to each other. I don’t always succeed, but I will keep trying.
I think Paul Levy raised several concerns in his post. I’m not going to try to suggest which was foremost in his mind when he wrote his post here. A large gathering of unmasked people who – from the picture – appear to be engaging in conduct that is inconsistent with current health guidelines is concerning to me. That COVID infections are trending upward in Massachusetts is concerning to me. I’m not actually troubled by the use of the field, but were I involved in a group that has to pay for a permit to use the resource, I could see how I might be troubled to see others not following the rules I follow.
Do we know for sure this group did not have the necessary permit? Did Paul go and ask? Did the Police respond? Just some of the unanswered questions here…
@TheWholeTruth I don’t think the city wouldn’t have issued a permit that would allow a group of 40 unmasked athletes on the field
TWT: I’ve confirmed from the city agency that the group did not have a permit. The police did not respond.
Claire: Right. The city requires permit holders to meet the Covid regulations.
Mike S: If the police had shown up, they could have informed the players of the city’s Covid requirements and/or the permit requirements and asked them to comply and/or leave.
Lisap: All of the above.
Paul, you raise an excellent point about mask enforcement. Especially as we see covid numbers rising in Mass, we need to be even more vigilant. At the May 28 Public Safety Committee meeting Councilor Baker asked the then-police chief if more could be done to enforce the mask mandate. The response was that at that time the chief preferred to use education and have officers offer masks to those not wearing them. That could have been the approach taken here, if the police had been called.
@Paul Levy– I’d like to understand your desired outcome. Would you have found it satisfactory if the police had responded, instructed the players to wear masks, and allowed them to continue playing?
Two issues, Mike S. One is the commercial use of a Newton-owned field without paying the posted and required permit fee. Desired outcome: Kick them off. The other is not meeting the Covid requirements set forth by the City if you do have a permit. Desired outcome: Assure compliance. If that doesn’t happen, Parks & Rec can withdraw the permit the next day.
“Desired outcome: Kick them off.”
Wow.
Claire,
Please try and be less snarky with your response.
I am sure the city issues permits expecting people to follow the rules. Of course they would not issue a permit to anyone who walks in and says “I want a permit and I’m not going to wear a mask.” It was a fair question to ask since none of the commenters seemed to be able to say if this group may actually have had a permit. Paul was apparently able to confirm the lack of a permit but not until today. And are we sure the Police did not respond? Did Paul call back to the Police and ask the Dispatcher what the decision was on whether they would or would not respond? Some people have suggested that without a permit, people in the park are trespassing on City property. The parks are open to the public to use at any time, except after dark as the signs that are posted indicate. What if a group of folks just decided to get together and play ball for fun on an empty field? Are they trespassing? Do they have to have a permit? I get the issue of a for profit group using the fields for their own gain. I think Paul has some valid questions but they were not expressed very well.
TWT,
I didn’t need to call the dispatcher again. She said that, if they would go to the field, they would do so within a few minutes. I was observing, and they did not show up.
Yes, any member of the public can walk onto a public field and engage in recreational activities. But, when it comes to commercial use, or organized use by leagues and the like, there is a city requirement for a permit. Here’s what the regulations say:
“The City of Newton’s Parks, Recreation & Culture Department requires a permit for the use of public facilities which results in compensation, monetary gain, benefit, or profit to an individual, organization, corporation, or other entity. Facilities include fields, tennis courts, outdoor basketball courts, track, playgrounds, and all other park and recreation space.
Organized or regular use of Newton Parks, Recreation & Culture Facilities by groups shall require a permit.”
It’s pretty straightforward. Maybe I didn’t express it well, but the issue I raised was how this aspect, plus the Covid rules that are inherent in any permit, should be enforced when there are no P&R personnel available. I don’t see why the police should not be expected to do so.
Without enforcement, the regulation becomes a nullity: A private entity makes money off the city facilities and also contributes to their wear and tear.
I don’t think that was snarky at all.
Also the city will not issue a permit for a for-profit enterprise. It sounds like Paul was aware that this was a for-profit enterprise at the time he called and was verifying today
http://www.newtonma.gov/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?t=40730.02&BlobID=105587
@Paul Levy– I’m struggling with your term “commercial use.” If this truly was a for-profit enterprise, then I agree the use is inappropriate, although that’s not something a police officer would be able to fairly determine.
Regarding the permit, it’s very common to have groups of people using Newton fields informally. If a permit holder shows up to use that particular field, the informal group is obliged to move. From your description, it doesn’t sound like this group was interfering with any permit holder. If they were interfering, the permit holder should have asked them to move, and an appropriate recourse to non-compliance would be calling the police to enforce the permit. I disagree with you that an unrelated third-party should make that call.
I do agree with your sense of urgency to address the football player’s lack of masks. But I’m not sure if the mask “mandate” as it currently exists is an actual law. Unless there’s a violation of law, a call to law enforcement isn’t the solution.
@Mike Striar, et al.,
Without going into a long, tedious and ultimately boring description of the topic of administrative law (which I am perfectly capable of doing but wish to spare you all my tedium)… the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has promulgated a regulation, published in the Code of Massachusetts Regulations, addressing mask usage, 105 CMR 316.020 titled “Locations Where Face Masks or Coverings Must Be Worn”. The regulation is issued pursuant to the Dept. of Health’s authority as established by an act of the legislature, Mass. Gen. Laws Chapter 111, Section 6 entitled “Power to Define Diseases Deemed Dangerous to the Public”. Sub-part (D) issued by the DPH provides “Any other time a person is in a public place and cannot social distance.” (Ha! I was tedious.) Essentially, this is a catch-all provision, and – interestingly – this regulation immediately precedes the one requiring all owners of dogs and cats to have their pets immunized against rabies, 105 CMR 330.
The question which I can’t answer right now – as I don’t have time to research further this evening – is what enforcement provisions have been issued for mask violations.
Stay safe everyone. The numbers are getting rather scary, and I wish you all well.
Lisap
@Claire
The statement “Also the city will not issue a permit for a for-profit enterprise. ” is not accurate. The city currently permits fields to SURF club soccer and Boston Ski and Sports. Both are for profit groups. The policy is that a permit is required for this use.
@Mike
The requirement to have a permit is: Organized or regular use
Based on my personal observations, we have young players “show up” at fields from time to time to kick a soccer ball or throw a football.
We have dozens of pick-up games in Newton that meet every week (some more than that). I have no idea how many of these players are residents. Maybe all of them Maybe none. Fewer than five of these groups have permits so the overwhelming majority of the organized weekly pick-up games are playing without a permit.
The issue is that Newton does not have the funds required to maintain a field that is used every day. Permits are really the only mechanism the city has to generate the much needed revenue and to appropriately limit use. Turf fields can withstand much more regular use without degrading, but we only have three of them and during the week they are exclusively used (as they should be) by the HS teams.
@Jason Traxler. Point taken. I reread the rules and it says that a for profit enterprise must have a permit. Although it is written is a confusing way with the capitalization of PROHIBITED. It should read UNLESS the enterprise receives a permit
“The use of Public Facilities for private gain is PROHIBITED. The City of Newton’s Parks, Recreation & Culture
Department requires a permit for the use of public facilities which results in compensation, monetary gain,
benefit, or profit to an individual, organization, corporation, or other entity
The same people that suggest we “defund” the police are the first to call them for non-emergencies.
Our boys in blue should not be enforcing this mandate.
Yes, if Ruthanne tasked them with issuing fines, I’m sure they would do so with honor just like our boys in NYC: dishing out fines without letting underlying prejudices get in the way.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/07/nyregion/nypd-social-distancing-race-coronavirus.amp.html?0p19G=0232
But the more I think about it, there is no need for our Newton cops to put their lives on the line by approaching a group of unarmed teenagers. After all, some of them might be carrying dangerous objects, like a pack of skittles or a forged dollar bill.
We must protect our boys in blue, even though they are flawless and there would be no civil rights concerns about them enforcing a mask mandate with fines and action.
Just when you thought Newtonians couldn’t get anymore pathetic….
Smh
We’ve met many wonderful people; made many great friends in Newton since moving here 10 years ago. At the same time, I am amazed with the convenient hypcrisy of this community.
> Let’s defund the police… until we need them (always the first call for an unpleasurable request)
> We’re a welocoming community… yet never shy to offer an opinion on what someone else should or should not do
> We need to add more affordable housing… but lets keep it to the “transit oriented” neighborhoods (dog whistle for the less affluent, already dense villages)
> Schools are why people move here… yet Newton is the ONLY peer district without some form of in-person learning in High School
Could go on, but will stop here. Some great comments above. Wish there was a ‘like’ button.
@ Paul Green and @Bluefooted,
The permit holder(s) must be in possession of the permit at the playing fields and/or related facility and be prepared to produce the permit upon proper request by City of newton officials, including the Police. Failure to produce a valid permit when requested is grounds for expulsion from the playing field or related facility, and such further action as the PRC may determine to be appropriate under the circumstances.