Police FAQ
On November 10, 1997, Versailles Village Council approved Ordinance No. 97-53. This ordinance outlines the curfew for persons under the age of 18. It not only sets forth penalties for persons under 18, but for parents who allow violations to occur. Defenses to violation include:
- Accompanied by parent, legal guardian, or other adult person having the care and custody of the minor;
- On errand under the direction of minor’s parent or legal guardian;
- In a motor vehicle in interstate travel;
- Engaged in employment activity;
- Involved in an emergency;
- On the sidewalk abutting the minor’s residence;
- Participation in school, religious, or other recreational activity supervised by adults.
The information below illustrates the hours covered under the ordinance:
- Sunday thru Thursday, Ages 14 and Under: 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Friday and Saturday, Ages 14 and Under: 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Sunday thru Thursday, Ages 15 thru 17: 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Friday and Saturday, Ages 15 thru 17: 12:00 a.m. (midnight) to 6:00 a.m.
Bad checks are handled by the Versailles Police Department. Please contact us at our business line (937) 526-3712 or dispatch number (937) 548-2020 for more information.
If you receive a citation from a Versailles Police Officer, you need to contact the Darke County Court at (937) 547-7340 to find out how much it will cost to post bond and make arrangements for payment. The Darke County Courthouse is located at 504 South Broadway, Greenville, Ohio 45331.
Upon being adopted back in 1985, the Village’s Zoning Ordinance provides criteria, rules, and regulations for the use of and storage of recreational equipment within the Village’s corporation limits. I would like to take this opportunity to share with everyone some of the information contained within the Village’s Zoning Ordinance and hopefully assist you with maintaining the proper and safe storage of your recreational equipment.
Let me first begin by explaining the definition of “Camping and Recreational Equipment”, as contained within the Village’s Zoning Regulations. Camping and Recreational Equipment is defined as boats and trailers, folding tent trailers, motorized homes, pickup campers, and travel trailers.
According to the Village Zoning Regulations, recreational equipment, as previously defined, is subject to the following conditions: (1) parked or stored camping and recreational equipment, as defined by the Zoning Regulations, is not to be connected to electricity, water, gas, or sanitary sewer facilities, and is not to be used for living or housekeeping purposes; (2) If the camping or recreational equipment is parked or stored outside a garage, it is to be parked or stored towards the rear of the house. Recreational equipment is not to be stored or parked on public streets, alleys, or right-of-ways; (3) Camping or recreational equipment may be parked on the premises for loading or unloading purposes for a period of time not to exceed forty-eight (48) hours.
According to Section 404.07(a)(2) of the ordinances of Versailles, a vehicle cannot be left more than forty-eight (48) hours upon or within the right-of-way of any road without notification to the Chief of Police of the reasons for leaving such vehicle in such place, except when such motor vehicle constitutes an obstruction to traffic, in which case it may be ordered into storage immediately.
Yes, there is a truck route! Under Section 440.01 of the ordinances of the Village of Versailles, through trucks must use state or truck routes. By definition, a “through truck” is any truck traveling through the Village of Versailles without making any stops. This would seem fairly easy to understand until you consider the fact that not all businesses are located on state or truck routes.
In these cases, trucks are permitted to leave the state or truck route to make local deliveries.
Open burning is not allowed in the Versailles Village limits. Ordinance No. 75-23, passed on November 24, 1978, states the following, “No person shall cause, suffer, or permit open burning of any refuse, trash, leaves, or other combustible material within the Village of Versailles, Ohio, or shall as an owner or tenant of any property, permit any open burning upon any property, or being the owner of a property or the person occupying, renting, or maintaining same, permit any open burning to occur on said property.”
Violators are guilty of a minor misdemeanor and cannot be fined more than $100.00. Each day of violation constitutes a separate violation.
Yes, you may ride a horse in the Village of Versailles under certain restrictions. On May 8, 1995, Versailles Village Council passed Ordinance No. 95-15, which outlines the responsibilities of horse riders. They are as follows:
- No person shall ride a horse on a sidewalk.
- Riders of horses shall obey all traffic control devices.
- Riders shall clean up after their horse.
- Riders shall not ride from sunset to sunrise, or when light conditions
- Don’t allow the horse to be seen at a distance of 500 feet.
Yes. On March 27, 1978, the Versailles Village Council passed Ordinance No.78-20. This ordinance determines what are nuisances and provides for the abolishment of the same. The ordinance reads as follows:
SECTION ONE: That all brush, rubbish, litter, or waste products or materials, accumulating or lying upon any premises within the Village, and all weeds growing wild or uncultivated upon any premises which may cause noxious odors, or which may spread to other premises, or which may be detrimental to the welfare of the Village and its inhabitants, and which may be offensive or injurious, are hereby determined and declared to be a nuisance.
SECTION TWO: No person shall, within the limits of the Village of Versailles, maintain any building, structure, or place for the exercise of trade, employment, or business, or for the keeping or feeding of any animal, which by causing noxious odors or smells, becomes injurious to the health and comfort or property of individuals or the public; nor shall any company, corporation, or persons owning or occupying any premises within the limits of the Village, throw or deposit, burn or permit to be thrown, deposited, or burned, any trash, rubbish, or refuse of any kind or any other offensive substance which may become a nuisance, upon or in any place within the Village, therefore rendering the same injurious, filthy, or offensive.
SECTION THREE: That the nuisance shall exist when there is caused or suffered any placing, throwing, or sweeping into any street, alley, park, or public ground or lot of land, any dirt, paper, nails, pieces of glass or board, fruit parings or skins, garbage, waste, leaves or clippings, ashes, cans, bottles, cartons, boxes, furniture, oil, parts of automobiles, or any other matter of an unsightly or unsanitary nature, or there is caused or suffered any placing, throwing of such matter upon any sidewalk or street crossing, on any driveway, upon the floor, stairway, or hallway of any public building, lot of land; or There is caused or suffered any accumulation of any paper, fruit parings or skins, garbage, waste, ashes, cartons, boxes, or any other matter of an unsightly or unsanitary nature in such manner could be blown unto any street, avenue, alley, park, public ground, sidewalk, or lot of land; or a person, firm, or corporation keeps, stores, places, or allows to remain, unlicensed motor vehicles, motor vehicles in an unoperative condition, motor vehicles unfit for further use, or automobile motor vehicle parts any parcel of land, street, or alley within the corporate limits of the Village of Versailles.
SECTION FOUR: Whenever a complaint is made to the Mayor, or any duly elected or appointed official of the Village of Versailles, Ohio, of the existence of a nuisance, as defined in this ordinance, Section Three, the Mayor shall promptly inspect, or cause to be inspected, the place or premises which it is alleged such nuisance exists. Should the Mayor, or Chief of Police, whom the Mayor may delegate to do the inspection, find that a nuisance does exist, he shall promptly notify the Chief of Police, and the Chief of Police shall then promptly deliver written notice setting forth the nuisance to the owner of the premises, person, firm, or corporation; giving said person five (5) days or fourteen (14) days in the case of motor vehicles, in which to correct the condition, a copy of said notice shall be left with the person in charge or possession of the premises, if appropriate.
SECTION FIVE: Any person, firm, or corporation who, being unable to do so, shall neglect or refuse to obey an order issued by the Chief of Police in regard to this ordinance, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree, and upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $250.00 for each offense. Each and every day after the time specified in any notice provided for herein that such nuisance shall be permitted to exist, shall be deemed a separate and distinct offense hereunder. Failure by the person, firm, or corporation to correct the nuisance within the time specified shall result in abatement by the Village; the cost of which shall be charged to the person, firm, or corporation, with such costs to be collected by civil suit.
If you are receiving either harassing or annoying phone calls, press *57 after the call. This will cost you approximately $4.00. (The purpose of pressing *57 is to log/trace the call.) After pressing *57, call the Versailles Police Department dispatch at (937)548-2020 and have an officer dispatched to your residence. When the officer arrives, inform him you pressed *57. The officer will take a statement from you regarding the harassing or annoying call.