People will no longer be allowed to sleep or stay on the old courthouse square or in Morganton parks overnight in the city of Morganton.

The Morganton City Council adopted the rule on Monday. The amendment bans anyone from sleeping or hanging out on the Old Burke County Courthouse Square or city parks between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.

At the Monday meeting, Public Safety Chief Ryan Lander said amending the ordinance is an opportunity to educate the public about reasonable expectations for community members.

Since January 2023, Morganton Public Safety has responded to 288 calls for at the Old Burke County Courthouse Square, Lander said.

The calls Morganton Public Safety deals with at the courthouse square included damage to property, vandalism, domestic violence incidents, fighting, assaults, h

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