Bob CollinsWhere is the line between youthful pranks and criminal behavior?
Let the Jordan, Minn., police department be your guide.
The police department is threatening criminal charges for any kids who “toilet paper” trees, a homecoming week prank as old as life itself.
The department’s Facebook page has issued a declaration that this will not be tolerated.
The department says on its Facebook page:
If you are toilet papering homes, throwing trash and garbage into others yards, or you are doing things that may cause damage to another’s property be advised if we catch you our police department will be criminally charging you (potential charges = littering, disorderly conduct, damage to property, curfew, trespassing). Many citizens do not find these behaviors during homecoming week funny and it’s very upsetting for them. Homeowners are encouraged to contact our department to report in-progress incidents of this nature.
Throwing trash and damaging property, of course, are legitimate gripes.
But throwing a roll or two of toilet paper into a tree? Where exactly does that rank on a scale of zero to childhood cancer?
“Ya’ll need to calm down and let kids be kids and have fun during the one homecoming week of the year,” one commenter said.
“I was just out in my yard picking up quite a bit of toilet paper that had blown into our yard from a toilet papered house across the street and 3 houses down,” counters another. “Maybe the kids that do the toilet papering should also pick up the mess.”
