Have you caught the Pokemon Go bug yet? Neither have I. I do hear about it quite a bit though. My son has joined the throngs that are combing the streets of Victoria in search of Pikachu (gesundheit!), Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Charmander and the like. It is just innocent fun and hey, it gets people out of the house for a little fresh air. The City of Victoria Police want to remind players that we do have ordinances they still need to follow. Here are some laws and ordinances that players need to keep in mind:

Juvenile Curfew:

City Ordinance Sec 15-30 sets the city wide juvenile curfew for anyone under 17 years old.  The curfew hours are:

12:01 a.m. on any Monday to Friday until 6:00 a.m. of that same day; and 1:01 a.m. until 6:00 a.m. on any Saturday or Sunday.  Also on 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. on any days that the school in which the minor is enrolled is in session unless the minor has school permission to be off-campus.

Park Curfew:

City Ordinance Sec 17-1 sets Park Curfew hours between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. every day of the week.

Cemeteries:

City Ordinance Sec 6-7 states that it is a crime to enter or remain in a city cemetery at any time after dark.  This includes 30 minutes after sunset and 30 minutes before sunrise.

Trespassing on Private Property:

The Texas Penal Code Sec 30.05 Criminal Trespass prohibits entering or staying on the private property of another without the consent of the owner when given notice not to enter or when asked to leave.

Distracted Driving:

Everyone knows the dangers of Texting and Driving or talking on your phone while driving.  Although the City of Victoria does not currently have an ordinance prohibiting cell phone use while driving (except in active school zones),it’s important to realize chasing Pokemon while driving is just as dangerous and just as deadly.  There are also some driver license restrictions that prohibit the use of cell phones while driving.

Pedestrians:

The Texas Traffic Code Sec 552 states that pedestrians must obey crossing signals, may only cross streets at intersections in marked (or unmarked) crosswalks, and may not walk along or on the roadway when a sidewalk is provided.  When not provided, the pedestrian walking on the roadway must walk on the left side facing oncoming traffic.

So, have fun but, keep these in mind.

 


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