The text
Sec. 13-1. - Hunting prohibited; exception.#
(a)
No hunting will take place in any part of the town except as provided herein and in section 13-1.2.
(b)
A landowner in Warren possessing five (5) or more acres, or their designees, in accordance with state laws, may engage in archery hunting.
(Ord. of 11-14-72; Ord. of 1-13-2026(1))
Cross reference— Animals and fowl, Ch. 3.
Sec. 13-1.2. - Nuisance permits.#
To reduce deer abundance and associated negative impacts, hunting of deer by landowners, or their designees, upon their property, in accordance with state laws, provided that such landowner shall have been granted authority by the state or its subsidiaries to conduct such activities, shall be permitted.
(Ord. of 1-13-2026(1))
Sec. 13-2. - Firearms.#
(a)
Discharging restricted. Every person who shall discharge any firearms within fifty (50) yards of any dwelling or within one hundred fifty (150) feet of any road or highway shall be fined in accordance with section 1-8.
(b)
Target practice. At the request of any resident of the town, the town council when requested to do so, may in its discretion and with the permission of the owner or occupant of suitable land, designate a place where target practice with firearms may be carried on under such circumstances or conditions, regulations and restrictions as it shall impose and whenever the town council shall subsequently determine that the circumstances or conditions have altered to such an extent that the continuation of such target practice in such location is unsafe or likely to be so or that rules or regulations imposed by it have been violated or are likely to be violated or that the safety of the public is likely to be endangered, it may revoke the permission previously granted and forbid and abate such target practice, and any person engaging in target practice with any rifle, shotgun, pistol or air gun discharging balls, bullets or slugs without first obtaining permission from the town council to do so under circumstances, conditions, rules or regulations imposed by it, or so engaging after the town council shall have revoked permission to do so, shall be fined in accordance with section 1-8.
(c)
Discharge on Sunday. No person not being at the time under military duty, shall discharge any rifle, gun, musket, blunderbuss, fowling-piece, pistol, air gun, spring gun or other small arms or any contrivance arranged to discharge shot, bullets, arrows, darts or other missiles on Sunday anywhere within the town, except as follows:
(1)
Such discharge is made on nonposted land.
(2)
Such discharge is made on land owned or occupied by the person making the discharge or the person making the discharge is in possession of the written permission of the owner of the land on which such discharge is made.
Nothing contained herein shall be construed to prohibit trap shooting or skeet shooting conducted with the permission of and under conditions set forth by the town council.
(Code 1967, §§ 23-4—23-6)
State Law reference— Authority of council to regulate firearms, G.L. 1956, § 45-6-1.
Sec. 13-3. - Injuring, defacing, etc., town property, etc.#
Any person who shall wilfully or mischievously break, cut or otherwise injure or deface any property of the town, or any post, lamppost, tree, tree box or fence or building standing or situated upon any street, highway or other public place, shall be punished in accordance with section 1-8.
(Code 1967, § 23-8)
State Law reference— Destruction of wastewater facilities, § 21-31.
Sec. 13-4. - Public or indecent intoxication.#
Any person who shall be intoxicated under such circumstances as to amount to a violation of decency on the common, or in any highway, street, gangway, public building or other public place in the town, shall be fined not exceeding ten dollars ($10.00) or imprisonment not exceeding ten (10) days.
(Code 1967, § 23-7)
State Law reference— Authority of council to prevent and punish indecent intoxication, G.L. 1956, § 45-6-3.
Sec. 13-5. - Minors, possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages in public places, etc.#
(a)
It shall be unlawful for any minor to have in his possession alcoholic beverages in a public place, on a public way or upon any public property.
(b)
It shall be unlawful for any minor or other person to consume alcoholic beverages in a public place, on a public way or upon any public property.
(c)
Any minor violating the provisions of this section shall be punished as provided in section 1-8.
(Code 1967, §§ 21-1, 23-81)
Cross reference— Alcoholic beverages, taverns and victualling houses, § 11-26 et seq.; parks and recreation, Ch. 14.
Sec. 13-6. - Picnics involving intoxicating liquors restricted.#
(a)
No picnic at which intoxicating liquors are to be used or dispensed shall be held in the town on any Sunday or any legal holiday, without permission having been obtained from the town council, or from a duly authorized committee from the same.
(b)
No person shall permit the use of any premises for such picnics aforesaid, on the days aforesaid, without having obtained permission as aforesaid.
(Code 1967, § 23-10)
Cross reference— Alcoholic beverages, taverns and victualling houses, § 11-26 et seq.
Sec. 13-7. - Loitering.#
(a)
No person shall loiter, lounge or sleep in or upon any street or public place, or in any public building, or obstruct the access to any public building or any part thereof, or obstruct passage through or upon any public street or public place.
(b)
For the purposes of this section, the term loiter shall encompass, but shall not necessarily be limited to, one (1) or more of the following acts:
(1)
Obstruction of the free, unhampered passage of pedestrians or vehicles.
(2)
Obstructing, molesting or interfering with any person lawfully upon any street, or other public place.
(3)
Refusing to move on when so requested by a peace officer, provided the peace officer has exercised his discretion reasonably under the circumstances in order to preserve or promote peace and order.
(c)
For the purpose of this section, the term "other public place" shall be deemed to include the quasi-public area in front of or adjacent to any place of business.
(d)
Any person convicted under the provisions of this section shall be punished in accordance with section 1-8.
(Ord. of 4-13-71, §§ I, II)
Cross reference— Streets and sidewalks, Ch. 18.
State Law reference— Authority to ordain ordinances to prevent loitering, G.L. 1956, § 45-6-1.
Sec. 13-8. - Playing ball, throwing stones, etc., in streets, etc.#
Any person who shall play at ball, or throw, strike or pass the same or throw any stones or missiles in any street, highway or public place in the compact part of the town, shall, upon conviction, be punished in accordance with section 1-8.
(Code 1967, § 23-11)
Cross reference— Streets and sidewalks, Ch. 18.
Sec. 13-9. - Abandoning, etc., refrigerators, ice boxes, etc.#
It shall be unlawful for any person to leave outside of any building or dwelling in a place accessible to children any abandoned, unattended or discarded ice box, refrigerator or any other container of any kind which has an air-tight door, snap-lock or other locking device thereon without first removing such door, snap-lock or lock from such ice box, refrigerator or container.
(Code 1967, § 23-12)
State Law reference— Abandonment of refrigerator in place accessible to children, G.L. 1956, § 11-9-10.
Sec. 13-10. - Sleeping in public prohibited.#
(a)
It shall be a misdemeanor for any person to sleep in any public area of the town, except those places which provide sleeping accommodations for transient visitors.
(b)
Every person found guilty of violating this section shall upon conviction, be punished in accordance with section 1-8.
(Code 1967, § 23-12.1)
Sec. 13-11. - Swimming, bathing, etc.#
(a)
Prohibited in portion of Kickemuit River. The following activities are prohibited in the waters of the Kickemuit River lying north of Child Street in the town:
(1)
No person shall swim or bath in the waters.
(2)
No person shall bathe or fish in, nor go or send any animal into any of the waters, nor throw or place any article or thing in such waters.
(3)
No person shall sail or propel a boat or other craft in or upon the waters.
(b)
Hours restricted. No person shall for the purpose of swimming or bathing go into the waters of Narragansett Bay, Mount Hope Bay, Warren River, Kickemuit River, Belchers Cove, or any pond or other waters belonging to or coming within the limits or jurisdiction of the town between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
(c)
Indecent exposure. No person shall be dressed or undressed or dress in such a manner as to indecently expose his person on any part of the shores or beaches of the bay or of the shores or banks of the rivers or ponds or other waters belonging to and lying within the town. No person shall go into or be in any of the waters or the bay, rivers, ponds or other waters belonging to or lying within the town for any purposes whatever, unless clothed in such a manner as to prevent indecent exposure of his person.
(Code 1967, §§ 23-13—23-15)
Cross reference— Harbors and vessels, Ch. 10.
State Law reference— Authority of council to prevent indecent exposure of bathers in town waters, G.L. 1956, § 45-6-1.
Sec. 13-12. - Disorderly conduct.#
(a)
Any person is prohibited from committing disorderly conduct within the Town of Warren, as defined in this section. Violation of this prohibition is punishable as defined in subsection (d) below. A person commits disorderly conduct if he or she intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly:
(1)
Acts in an intimidating, violent or tumultuous manner toward another or others whereby any person is placed in fear of safety for his or her life, limb, health or wellbeing;
(2)
Acts in an intimidating, violent or tumultuous manner toward another whereby the property of any person is placed in danger of being damaged, mutilated, defaced or destroyed, or is, in fact, mutilated, damaged, defaced or destroyed;
(3)
Behaves in an intimidating, violent or forceful manner at any time in, upon or in the proximity of a public place in such a manner that such conduct constitutes a clear and present danger to the free and lawful movement of any person or to the extent that any other person will be, or is likely to be, restrained, enjoined, incapacitated or stopped in the lawful exercise of his or her business, occupation, amusement, recreation or any other lawful pursuit;
(4)
Causes, provokes or engages in any fight, brawl or tumultuous or riotous conduct so as to endanger the life, limb, health or well-being of another;
(5)
Urinates or defecates on any public street, alley or sidewalk or the floor of any public place or public building or any place or building where the public has the right to gather or to which it has access, or any private property not owned by the party;
(6)
By acts of violence, interferes with another's pursuit of a lawful occupation;
(7)
Willfully, knowingly, or recklessly makes a false alarm or cry of fire or a false request for the assistance of any firefighting apparatus or personnel, or willfully, knowingly, or recklessly makes a false report or request for assistance of any public or private rescue or assistance services, or, similarly, makes a false cry, alarm or request for police assistance;
(8)
Prowls or wanders in or upon the private property of another without good reason, or without visible or lawful business with the owner or occupant thereof and without the knowledge or consent of the individual being observed, peeks, peeps or peers in any door or window of any building or structure thereon for a lascivious purpose;
(9)
Displays any deadly weapon, or instrument or thing, which by its appearance may be considered a deadly weapon, in any public place in a manner calculated or likely to alarm or frighten another or others;
(b)
The foregoing prohibition on disorderly conduct shall be applicable to all persons whether acting alone or in concert with others.
(c)
In no event shall the subdivisions of this section be construed to prevent lawful picketing or lawful demonstrations.
(d)
Whosoever violates the foregoing provisions shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00) and/or imprisonment for not more than thirty (30) days.
(Ord. of 11-22-2016)
Sec. 13-13. - Consumption of cannabis in public places, etc.#
(a)
Definitions.
(1)
For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
Minor means any individual under the age of twenty-one (21) years old.
Public place means any place to which the public or a substantial group of persons has access and/or view. A "public place" includes but shall not be limited to any public street or right-of-way of the Town of Warren, and associated sidewalks, walkways, alleys and alleyways, parking lots, buildings, and grounds associated with those buildings that are open to the public.
For purposes of this section, all parks, athletic facilities, recreational facilities, and conservation areas owned by the Town of Warren shall also constitute public places.
(b)
It shall be unlawful for any minor to have in their possession cannabis in a public place as set forth in section (a)(1).
(c)
It shall be unlawful for any person to consume cannabis, whether by smoking or vaping, in a public place as set forth in section (a)(1).
(d)
Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be punished as provided in sections 1—8.
(Ord. of 08-09-2022(1))