For many decades, Newton Police were called to respond to reports of vandalism and dog related incidents. In responding to the 33 acre wilderness location, with somewhat remote trails and woods, officers were many times unable to locate the reporting parties. The NPD practice became an exercise of futility at the taxpayer’s expense thru the NPD budget.
With the advent of the off leash ordinance and it’s rules, the off leash advisory working group (OLAWG) who thru the Parks & Rec Commissioner, then Bob DeRubeis, wanted to create a special police force for the designated off leash areas. The idea was to have officers with citation writing powers as well as having defense protection in case of an unruly situation. Sure, it made sense to the OLAWG group, headed by Councilor Susan Albright, but be as it may, the persistent yearly ask of the NPD, after conferring with the police unions, decided that OLAWG’s plan did not meet specifications and standards, citing the statewide Animal Control Officers (ACO) training. Each municipalitie’s ACO is required to be registered and listed on the state’s ACO registry with special training and standards. An ACO receives not only special training but is also titered for rabies in the event of a rabid animal situation.
In response to the NPD rebuttal, Commissioner DeRubeis decided to then instead create a special position known as the ‘off leash specialist’ to be paid for out of the OL revolving account generated by the yearly receipts of the $50./canine revenue. This ‘off leash specialist’ would not be given police powers to retain people and would be assigned to only report back to the Commissioner and if need be call in for assistance by the ACO, if one is available at the time.
Meanwhile and with the best intentions of caring for the park, Edmands park users continued to maintain the free (without $ payment) use of the 33 acres for all.
The existence of the Leash ordinance of 1973 and the Off leash ordinance of 2003, to this day, forces us into a state of being ‘not illegal’ (which is not to say we are ‘Legal’).
In Feb 2020, then ACO Lisa Mikoleit requested the formation of a Newton Dog Ordinances Working Group. She recognized the inconsistencies in the competing dog ordinances, and which would hopefully result in the codification of the ordinances. We are hopeful that with new leadership, the City Council will bring forward this effort.
– Harry Sanders
12-29-23
