Manchester, CT Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)

The Board of Directors of the Town of Manchester adopted Chapter 236, Article II, Loitering, on May 6, 2014, citing the police power granted to towns under Section 7-148 of the Connecticut General Statutes to keep streets, sidewalks and public places free of nuisances. Section 236-2 defines LOITER broadly as to sit, stand, lie, pace or otherwise remain essentially in the same place, including simply hanging around, in any PUBLIC PLACE used or held out for use by the public. Section 236-3 prohibits three scenarios: obstructing, impeding or interfering with the use of a street, sidewalk, crosswalk or public park walk by anyone else; obstructing or interrupting the operation of a school on school grounds or inside a school building; and remaining on private property after being told to leave by the owner, a tenant or an agent, or where the property is posted against loitering.

Enforcement under Section 236-4 is graduated: an officer who reasonably judges someone's presence to be loitering may first advise the person of the violation and order them to leave, giving them a chance to comply before any charge issues. Only refusal to leave after that warning makes a person guilty of violating the chapter, and the fine for that refusal is capped at $99. Section 236-9 preserves speech and expression protected under the U.S. and Connecticut Constitutions, and Section 236-10 makes every clause severable.