Trespass Program…
The City of Yakima and the Yakima Police Department offers business and residential property owners an opportunity to participate in a Trespass Enforcement Authorization Program. This program gives authorization to the Yakima Police Department to enter the property and contact and question any person or person(s) who may be unlawfully on the property.
What the Program Does and Does Not Do
The Trespass Program gives authority to officers of the Yakima Police Department to enter upon the property for the purposes of advising, and if necessary, removing any and all trespassed person(s) from the property.
The Trespass Program does not increase the Yakima Police patrolling the property.
What are the Definitions of Criminal Trespass?
RCW 9A.52.070 Criminal Trespass first degree: 1) if he/she knowingly enters or remains unlawfully in a building 2) Criminal trespass in the first degree is a gross misdemeanor.
RCW 9A.52.080 Criminal Trespass second degree: 1) if he/she knowingly enters or remains unlawfully in or upon premises of another under circumstances not consulting criminal trespass in the first degree 2) Criminal trespass in the second degree is a misdemeanor.
How Do I Participate?
To participate in the Program, please complete the YPD Business Trespass Letter, and return to the Yakima Police Department, or you can complete the form at the Yakima Police Department located at 200 S 3rd St.
Post No Trespassing signs at visible locations on the property. (i.e. walls, doors, parking lots)
The No Trespassing signs must contain the following information:
- Trespassing prohibited
- Violators subject to arrest and prosecution
- RCW 9A.52.070-080
Participants in the Trespass Program will cooperate with the Yakima Police Department and the City Attorney’s Office in the prosecution of any violations occurring on the property, where a citation was issued or an arrest was made.
For more information, contact the Yakima Police Department at 509-575-6200.
View a complete draft of the Trespass Ordinance at:
https://www.codepublishing.com/WA/Yakima/#!/html/Yakima06/Yakima0647.html
Chronic Nuisance Ordinance
The Chronic Nuisance Ordinance was passed by the Yakima City Council on April 19th, 2010 and came into effect on May 19th, 2010.
The purpose of the ordinance is to reduce the number of calls for police services at properties with a history of requiring a disproportionately high demand for police services.
The ordinance allows the Chief of Police to declare a property a chronic nuisance if the police have to respond multiple times to a specific property over a period of time. The owner or person in charge of a nuisance property may be charged up to $500 per day until the nuisance activity is satisfactorily resolved.
The ordinance defines a chronic nuisance property as one in which three nuisance activities occur within a 60 day period or seven nuisance activities occur within a 12 month period.
View a complete draft of the Chronic Nuisance Property Ordinance, including a description of nuisance activities at: https://www.codepublishing.com/WA/Yakima/#!/html/Yakima11/Yakima1145.html