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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1967-899 • • • ORDINANCE NO. g‘79 AN ORDINANCE pertaining to public safety and morals; prohibiting the wandering or prowling by persons, under certain c-ircum- stances, and declaring such cordutt as constituting vagrancy; amending Section 6.04.155 of the City of Yakima Municipal Code; and declaring an emergency. 111 • S ection. 1. .Section 6.04.155 of the City of Yakima Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows: "6.04.155 WANDERING OR PROWLING. Any person who wanders or prowls in apiece, at a time, or in a manner, and .under circumstances, which manifest an unlawful pur- pose or which warrant alarm for the safety of persons or property in the vicinity is hereby declared to be a vagrant. Among circumstances which may be considered as manifest- ing an unlawful purpose or warranting alarm for the safety of persons or property, for purposes of this section, is flight by a person upon the appearance of a police officer, the refusal of a person to identify himself to a police officer, or an attempt by a person to conceal himself or any object from a police officer. • No arrest shall be made under this section,.nor shall any personirConvIcted of an offense under this section, unless the police officer affords an opportunity for a person sus- pected of this section to dispel any alarm_which 411 would otherwise be-warranted by requesting such person to Identify,himself and explain his presence and conduct, unless flight by the suspected violator, or other circum- stances, make it impractical for the polIceofficer to afford such an opportunity. No person shall be convicted, of an offense under this section if it appears at trial that the explanation given by the suspected violator was true and, if believed by the police officer at the time, would have dispelled the alarm." • Section 2. This ordinance is one to provide fOr the immediate • preservation of the public peace, property, health, safety and welfare of the people of the City of Yakima and an emergency is hereby declar- ed to exist and this ordinance shall be in full force and effect immediately upon its passage, approval and publication as provided by law and by the City Charter. PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, signed and approved this 3rd day of ApriI, 1967. . • Mayor ATTEST: • City Clerk