Bristol, CT Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)

Section 16-2(c)(1) of the Bristol Code of Ordinances, part of the chapter governing regulated conduct in public parks, states plainly that no person shall urinate or defecate in any park, or in or upon any park building, monument or structure, except in a facility specifically designed for that purpose, meaning a restroom. The rule sits inside the broader 'Behavior' subsection of Sec. 16-2, alongside disorderly conduct and prohibited sexual acts, and it applies across every property the city classifies as a park or recreational property under Sec.

16-7, including athletic fields, playgrounds, pools, trails, dog parks and passive recreation areas. There is no exception for emergencies or for areas away from public view; the only carved-out space is a restroom or comparable facility built for the purpose. Enforcement is assigned under Sec. 16-5 to members of the Bristol Police Department and to the Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services Department's Park Ambassadors, who are directed to inform a violator of the rule and take enforcement action once a violation has occurred. Officers may issue a citation under Sec.

16-6 pursuant to the general citation procedure in Sec. 1-11 of the Code, and Sec. 16-8 fixes the penalty for any violation of the chapter, including this one, at a ninety-dollar infraction. Because the prohibition is chapter-wide and enforced by both police and parks staff, it reaches every city-owned park, not just Rockwell Park or Muzzy Field.