Chapter 10.12
ENFORCEMENT AND OBEDIENCE
Sections:
10.12.010 Authority of police and fire department officials.
10.12.020 Persons other than officials shall not direct traffic.
10.12.030 Obedience to police or authorized officers.
10.12.040 Traffic regulations apply to persons riding bicycles or animals.
10.12.050 Obstruction or interference with police or authorized officers.
10.12.060 Authority of police in crowds.
10.12.070 Public employees to obey traffic regulations.
10.12.080 Exemption of certain vehicles.
10.12.090 Report of damage to certain property.
10.12.100 When vehicles maybe removed from streets.
10.12.010 AUTHORITY OF POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS.
Officers of the police department and such officers as are assigned by the chief of police are hereby authorized to direct all traffic by voice, hand, audible or other signal in conformance with traffic laws, except that in the event of a fire or other emergency or to expedite traffic or to safeguard pedestrians. officers of the police department or members of the fire department may direct traffic as conditions may require, notwithstanding the provisions to the contrary contained in Chapters 10.08 through 10.60 or the Vehicle Code.
(Ord. NS 725, 1968: prior code 3210).
10.12.020 PERSONS OTHER THAN OFFICIALS SHALL NOT DIRECT TRAFFIC.
No person other than an officer of the police department or members of the fire department or a person authorized by the chief of police or a person authorized by law shall direct or attempt to direct traffic by voice, hand or other signal, except that persons may operate, when and as herein provided, any mechanical push-button signal erected by order of the city traffic engineer.
(Ord. NS 725, 1968: prior code § 3211).
10.12.030 OBEDIENCE TO POLICE OR AUTHORIZED OFFICERS.
No person shall fail or refuse to comply with or to perform any act forbidden by any lawful order, signal, or direction of a traffic or police officer, or a member of the fire department, or a person authorized by the chief of police or by law.
(Ord. NS 725, 1968: prior code § 3212).
10.12.040 TRAFFIC REGULATIONS APPLY TO PERSONS RIDING BICYCLES OR ANIMALS.
Every person riding a bicycle or riding or driving an animal upon a highway has all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by Chapters 10.08 through 10.60 except those provisions which by their very nature can have no application.
(Ord. NS 725, 1968: prior code § 3213).
10.12.050 OBSTRUCTION OR INTERFERENCE WITH POLICE OR AUTHORIZED OFFICERS.
No person shall interfere with, or obstruct in any way, any police officer or other officer or employee of this city in their enforcement of provisions of Chapters 10.08 through 10.60. The removal, obliteration or concealment of any chalk mark or other distinguishing mark used by any police officer or other employee or officer of this city in connection with the enforcement of the parking regulations of this title shall, if done for the purpose of evading the provisions of Chapters 10.08 through 10.60, constitute interference or obstruction.
The fines assessed for violation of this section shall be established by city council resolution.
(Ord. 2008-11 § 2 (part), 2008: Ord. 92-13 § 1 (part), 1992: Ord. NS 725, 1968: prior code § 3214).
10.12.060 AUTHORITY OF POLICE IN CROWDS.
At places where large numbers of people and vehicles are to gather or have gathered, nothing in Chapters 10.08 through 10.60 shall be construed to prevent any police officer from prohibiting any person from parking any vehicle upon or using any street or sidewalk, or from prohibiting any pedestrian from using any street or sidewalk, and the police officer shall have authority to direct the parking of vehicles in any reasonable manner, way or direction, and it is hereby declared to be unlawful for any person to fail to promptly obey the police officer’s order, signal or command, regardless of any other provisions of Chapters 10.08 through 10.60.
(Ord. NS 725, 1968: prior code § 3214.1).
10.12.070 PUBLIC EMPLOYEES TO OBEY TRAFFIC REGULATIONS.
The provisions of Chapters 10.08 through 10.60 shall apply to the operator of any vehicle owned by or used in the service of the United States government, this state, any county or city, and it shall be unlawful for any said operator to violate any of the provisions of Chapters 10.08 through 10.60 except as otherwise permitted in Chapters 10.08 through 10.60 or by the Vehicle Code.
(Ord. NS 725, 1968: prior code § 3215).
10.12.080 EXEMPTION OF CERTAIN VEHICLES.
(a) The provisions of Chapters 10.08 through 10.60 regulating the operation, parking and standing of vehicles shall not apply to vehicles operated by the police or fire department, any public ambulance or any public utility vehicle or any private ambulance, which public utility vehicle or private ambulance has qualified as an authorized emergency vehicle, when any vehicle mentioned in this section is operated in the manner specified by the Vehicle Code in response to an emergency call.
(b) The foregoing exemptions shall not, however, relieve the operator of any such vehicle from obligation to exercise due care for the safety of others or the consequences of his willful disregard of the safety of others.
(c) The provisions of Chapters 10.08 through 10.60 regulating the parking or standing of vehicles shall not apply to any vehicle of a city department or public utility while necessarily in use for construction or repair work or any vehicle owned or operated by the United States Post Office Department while in use for the collection, transportation or delivery of United States mail.
(Ord. NS 725, 1968: prior code § 3216).
10.12.090 REPORT OF DAMAGE TO CERTAIN PROPERTY.
(a) The operator of a vehicle or the person in charge of any animal involved in any accident resulting in damage to any property publicly owned or owned by a public utility, including but not limited to any fire hydrant, parking meter, lighting post, telephone pole, electric light or power pole, or resulting in damage to any tree, traffic-control device or other property of a like nature located in or along any street, shall without unnecessary delay notify the police department.
(b) Every such report shall state the time when and the place where the accident took place, the name and address of the person owning and of the person operating or in charge of such vehicle or animal, the license number of every such vehicle, and shall briefly describe the property damage in such accident.
(c) The operator of any vehicle involved in an accident shall not be subject to the requirements or penalties of this section if and during the time he is physically incapable of making a report, but in such event he shall make a report as required in subsection (a) within twenty-four hours after regaining ability to make such report.
(Ord. NS 725, 1968: prior code § 3217).
10.12.100 WHEN VEHICLES MAY BE REMOVED FROM STREETS.
Any regularly employed and salaried officer of the police department may remove or cause to be removed:
(1) Any vehicle that has been parked or left standing upon a street or highway for seventy-two or more consecutive hours;
(2) Any vehicle which is parked or left standing upon a street or highway between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. when such parking or standing is prohibited by ordinance or resolution of this city and signs are posted giving notice of such removal;
(3) Any vehicle which is parked or left standing upon a street or highway where the use of such street or highway or a portion thereof is necessary for the cleaning, repair or construction of the street or highway or for the installation of underground utilities or where the use of the street or highway or any portion thereof is authorized for a purpose other than the normal flow of traffic or where the use of the street or highway or any portion thereof is necessary for the movement of equipment, articles or structures of unusual size, and the parking of such vehicle would prohibit or interfere with such use or movement; provided that signs giving notice that such vehicle may be removed are erected or placed at least twenty-four hours prior to the removal.
(Ord. NS 725, 1968: prior code § 3218).