Police seek greater citation power in resort

Ocean City officials are considering the possibility of harsher and immediate penalties for those who do not listen to police officers.

During Monday’s Police Commission meeting, Capt. Kevin Kirstein expressed concerns that the city code might need to revisit old ordinances or create a new one to encourage people to stop what the police consider disruptive or unlawful behavior after the first civilian citation.

Currently, ordinances are written so that police can issue a citation on a first offence. If a person has not complied by the following day, it’s treated as a subsequent offense.

“It’s similar to if you had a fire inspection and your smoke detector wasn’t working. If you didn’t get it fixed today, then you’re still in violation for the rest of the day,” Kirstein said. “The best we can do right now is come back and issue another citation the following day.”

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