Look Out Handbillers!

In a memo today, Chief Public Safety Officer Darren White says the city’s going to crack down on handbills.

The purpose of this memorandum is to bring to your attention the following City Ordinance which will be strictly enforced:

§ 9-8-14 THROWING OR DISTRIBUTING COMMERCIAL OR NONCOMMERCIAL HANDBILLS IN PUBLIC PLACES

No person shall throw, post or deposit any commercial or noncommercial handbill in or upon any sidewalk, street or other public places within the city. Nor shall any person hand out, post or distribute or sell any commercial or noncommercial handbill in any public place provided, however it shall not be a violation of this article for any person to hand out or distribute without charge to the receiver thereof any noncommercial handbill to any person willing to accept it in such public places.

It may be rebuttably presumed that the owner, manager, distributor, provider or responsible party of any business, product or service which is the subject of an illegally posted, thrown or deposited commercial handbill has caused the commercial handbill to be posted, thrown or deposited.

(74 Code, § 6-15-14) (Ord. 4-1992; Am. Ord. 25-2005)

According to the memo, it makes a mess when the handbills or pamphlets are thrown on the ground in Downtown Albuquerque. Read the ordinance closely though; there’s more in there than just putting fliers on windshields.