By Charlotte L. Jacobson
The Citizens’ Voice
SHICKSHINNY, Pa. — Two people were cited Saturday during a “boot drop” to raise funds for the Shickshinny Volunteer Fire Department.
Members were warned last year to move their fundraising efforts off of the roads, state police said.
A boot drop, or coin drop, is a fundraising method in which people stand along the road and solicit donations from passing cars. This type of fundraising is illegal in Pennsylvania.
The state’s Motor Vehicle Code, under Title 75, Section 3545, states “no person shall stand on a roadway for the purpose of soliciting employment, business or contributions from the occupant of any vehicle.”
State police at Shickshinny station commander Sgt. John Richards said when the fire department members stood at the intersection of state Route 11 and West Union Street last year at this time, he warned them that what they were doing was illegal.
“We understand it’s really hard to raise money for civic organizations,” Richards said. “But we need to make sure the roadways are safe for everybody. We have spoken to (the fire chief) numerous times, have spoken to the little league, the school district, anyone who tries to stand on the road for donations.”
Although police say the department was warned, two people were in the same intersection Saturday afternoon. Nicole Davis, 40, and another person whose citation was not yet reflected in online court records as of Tuesday night, were given summary citations by a state trooper.
“Nobody, including state police at Shickshinny, wants to cite the fire department,” Richards said. “They do a phenomenal job helping at accidents and helping the community. But when I warn someone that is breaking the law ... and they say basically they don’t care and are going to do it anyway, what recourse did they give me?”
Richards said that other groups in the area were attempting to solicit donations from passing cars as well, but they were warned to get off the roadway and complied.
Although this type of fundraising is commonplace and some would like to see the law changed, Richards said he wouldn’t support the change.
“If you change this law to start making exceptions, what are you going to do when you have young kids in the middle of the road collecting or adults that have no training whatsoever?” he said. “How do you choose if this group is OK or this one isn’t. The bottom line is it’s a dangerous thing to do.”
The two cited from the fire department will face a fine if they choose to plead guilty to the summary charge. Richards said the base cost of the fine is $5, but with court fees and other costs, it rounds to about $108.
“If they want to hate me for the rest of their lives, but they’re alive to hate me, well, then I guess I’m doing my job,” he said.
Several calls made to the Shickshinny Volunteer Fire Department and Chief Kevin Morris were unanswered as of press time.
___
(c)2015 The Citizens’ Voice (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.)
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.