Sec. 16-151. False reports to authorities.
(a) It is unlawful for any person to report the existence of a fire or other emergency to the police, fire department or any other agency empowered to deal with an emergency involving risk or injury to persons or property, when such person knows the report to be false. For the purposes of this subsection, fire department means any fire protection district or firefighting agency of the state, county or city; whether the employees or officers of such agency are volunteers or receive compensation for their services as firemen, or both.
(b) It is unlawful for any person to report or cause to be reported to any police agency any information concerning the commission of any offense or other incident which would require police action, when:
(1) Such person knows that no such offense or other incident has occurred; or
(2) Such person knows the information is false or that he has no such information.
(c) It is unlawful for any person to make telephone calls from within the city to the city's police, fire or emergency telephone numbers, including E911, when such person makes the call knowingly but for no legitimate purpose. This subsection shall apply regardless of whether the person who makes the telephone call speaks or in any way communicates to the city employee answering the call.
(d) This section does not apply to reports of the existence or placement of a bomb or other explosive in any public or private place or vehicle designed for transportation of persons or property.
(Code 1977, § 14-17; Ord. No. 1988-763, § 2, 6-13-88)
Sec. 16-152. Impersonation of police officer.
(a) It is unlawful for any person other than a police officer of the city to wear the insignia of office of a police officer of the city or any other insignia of office similar to or a colorable imitation of that adopted and worn by the police officers of the city.
(b) It is unlawful for any person other than a police officer of the city to in any manner represent himself to another as a police officer of the city.
(Code 1977, § 14-18)
Sec. 16-153. Counterfeit insignias.
It is unlawful for any person to counterfeit, imitate or cause to be counterfeited, or colorably imitated, the badge or insignia of office used by the police department of the city.
(Code 1977, § 14-19)
Sec. 16-154. Impersonation of city officers and employees.
(a) It is unlawful for any person not a city officer or city employee to willfully or fraudulently represent himself to be a city officer or an employee of the city.
(b) It is unlawful for any person to purport to perform the duties of any city officer or employee if he is not an authorized officer or employee of the city.
(Code 1977, § 14-20)
Sec. 16-155. Interference with public officers—At scene of disaster.
It is unlawful for any person to drive a vehicle to or close by the scene of a fire, explosion, traffic accident, riot or impending riot, other disaster or investigation so as to obstruct or impede the arrival, departure or operation of any fire truck, police vehicle, ambulance or any other emergency vehicle, or to fail to move a vehicle from the scene of such disaster when ordered to do so by police officers, firemen, emergency personnel or military personnel in the performance of their duties in coping with such fire, explosion, traffic accident, riot or impending riot, other disaster or investigation.
(Code 1977, § 14-21)
Sec. 16-156. Same—When in discharge of duties.
(a) It is unlawful for any person to use and/or to threaten to use violence, force, or physical interference, or any obstacle for the purpose of knowingly obstructing, impairing, hindering or attempting to prevent the investigation of any incident, the enforcement of any penal code, or the preservation of the peace by a police officer or a peace officer acting under color of his official authority, and/or any canine utilized by any police officer in the discharge of such authorized official law enforcement duties, or knowingly to obstruct, impair, hinder or attempt to prevent the prevention, control or abatement of fire by a fireman acting under color of his official authority.
(b) It is unlawful for any person to threaten violence, reprisal or any other injurious act to any police officer, peace officer, fireman, city employee or other public official who is engaged in the performance or attempted performance of his official duties, or to make such a threat by reason of such officer's performance or attempted performance of his official duties.
(c) It is unlawful for a person knowingly to give false information or a false name or a false address to a police officer or a peace officer acting under color of official authority with the purpose of implicating another or with the intent to hide one's own real name, address or age.
(d) It is unlawful for a person knowingly to refuse to reveal his correct name, address or date of birth when requested to do so by a police officer or a peace officer acting under color of official authority.
(Code 1977, § 14-22; Ord. No. 1988-763, § 3, 6-13-88; Ord. No. 1996-1017, § 1, 2-26-96; Ord. No. 2001-1220, § 5, 5-21-01)
Sec. 16-157. Resisting arrest; escaping custody; rescuing prisoner.
(a) It is unlawful for any person to prevent or attempt to prevent a police officer acting under color of his official authority from effecting the arrest of any person by the use or threatened use of force or physical violence or any other means which creates a substantial risk of causing physical injury to such police officer.
(b) It is unlawful for any person to prevent or attempt to prevent a police officer acting under color of his official authority from effecting the arrest of that person by running from, eluding or hiding from the police officer or officers.
(c) A police officer is “acting under color of his official authority” when, in the course of his duties, he is called upon to make or does in fact make a good faith judgment based on surrounding facts and circumstances, that an arrest should be made. It is no defense to a prosecution under this section that the arrest was unlawful if the police officer was acting under color of his authority and did not use unreasonable or excessive force in effecting the arrest.
(d) It is unlawful for any person to escape or attempt to escape, or in any manner aid another to escape, or attempt to rescue or rescue a person, from the custody of a police agent or from the custody of any person aiding such police agent after being commanded by such police agent to so take such person into custody; provided, that the provisions of this section shall not apply when the escapee is being held for a felony or charged with any felony.
(Code 1977, § 14-23; Ord. No. 1996-1018, § 1, 2-26-96)
Sec. 16-158. Disobeying; refusing to aid public officers.
(a) It is unlawful for any person to knowingly disobey the lawful or reasonable order of police officers, firemen, emergency personnel or military personnel, given incident to the discharge of the official duties of such police officers or firemen or incident to the duties of emergency personnel or military personnel when coping with an emergency, explosion or other disaster.
(b) A person commits an unlawful act when, upon command by a person known to him as a police officer, he unreasonably refuses to aid such police in coping with any emergency situation.
(Code 1977, § 14-24)
Sec. 16-159. Using, etc., certain equipment on vehicles.
It is unlawful for any person to drive any vehicle on which has been installed any siren, exhaust whistle or bell or any red lights visible from the front of such motor vehicle or any red spotlight; provided, that nothing in this division shall prevent the possession, use or installation of such equipment on any city, county, state or federal vehicle or on any vehicle authorized or permitted to have or use any such equipment by the laws of this state, if there is compliance with all requirements of any such state laws, including obtaining necessary permits or licenses or approval or approvals, as required by any such state laws or by any applicable municipal ordinance.
(Code 1977, § 14-25)