Brea : Law to Ban Relieving One’s Self in Public

Somewhere along the line, no one thought to write a city ordinance prohibiting people from going to the bathroom in public. But the problem was corrected this week with passage of a new city law.

Police Chief Don Forkus said that people’s relieving themselves in public view has become “an increasing problem” but that police could do nothing about it because there was no city code or state law to regulate such actions.

“For some reason, we didn’t have it in our own code,” Assistant City Manager Denise Ovrom said.

By next month, when the law created by City Council members Tuesday becomes effective, police will have the option of giving citations for such an offense. The infraction could cost violators up to $500 but would not result in a jail term, Forkus said.