Hampshire adopts 'fighting' ordinance after District 300 request; board urges diversion plan development

The Hampshire Village Board approved a new municipal ordinance creating a discrete offense for fighting, a change requested by District 300 to align local code with neighboring communities and to give school resource officers an on‑ramp option short of charging disorderly conduct.

Staff described the measure as modeled on nearby municipalities and said District 300 had asked Hampshire to add such a code so enforcement would be consistent across the school district. Police staff and trustees also described a proposed juvenile diversion pilot—the station‑adjustment program—that would provide a non‑criminal pathway for students in lieu of a municipal fine or formal court proceedings. Staff said the diversion program is a separate pilot that district leaders have discussed but have not fully committed to; the ordinance itself does not require diversion program adoption as a precondition for passage.

Some trustees voiced caution about punishing young children with fines or formal tickets and asked what remedies schools will continue to use internally; others said that without a fighting ordinance, officers sometimes lack a legal option short of disorderly conduct. “We don’t have anything on the books that’s less than disorderly conduct,” one trustee said, arguing the new code would allow officers to act where previously they had no clear option.

After debate about equal enforcement across locations, potential consequences for minors, and whether an accompanying diversion program should be in place before passage, the board voted 4–2 to adopt the ordinance. Trustees and staff said the village would continue work with District 300 to design and pilot diversion alternatives and would monitor enforcement outcomes.

The ordinance aligns Hampshire with other municipalities in the district while leaving robust enforcement options (including disorderly conduct for more serious incidents) available to police.