Coalinga Municipal Code Art. 3 Enforcement

(a) It shall be the duty of the officers of the Police Department or such officers as are assigned by the Chief of Police to enforce all street traffic laws of this City and all of the State Vehicle Laws applicable to street traffic in the City.

(b) Officers of the Police Department or such officers as are assigned by the Chief of Police are authorized to direct all traffic by voice, hand, or signal in conformance with traffic laws; provided, that in the event of a fire or other emergency or to expedite traffic or to safeguard pedestrians, officers of the Police Department may direct traffic as conditions may require, notwithstanding the provisions of the traffic laws.

(c) Officers of the Fire Department, when at the scene of a fire, may direct or assist the police in directing traffic thereat or in the immediate vicinity.

(Ord. 536, eff. October 3, 1987, as amended by § 1, Ord. 614, eff. December 18, 1993)

(a) No person shall wilfully fail or refuse to comply with any lawful order of a Police Officer or Fire Department official when performing any official duty under this chapter.

(b) It is a misdemeanor for any person to do any act forbidden or fail to perform any act required in this chapter, except as specified in Section 4-4.730.

(Ord. 536, eff. October 3, 1987, as amended by § 1, Ord. 614, eff. December 18, 1993)

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 void, hand or other signal, except that persons may operate, when and as herein provided, any mechanical pushbutton signal erected by order of the City Manager. Violation of this section is an infraction as provided in Section 1-2.01 of this Code.

(Ord. 536, eff. October 3, 1987)

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 the provisions of this title. 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 constitutes such interference or obstruction. Violation of this section is a misdemeanor as provided in Section 1-2.01 of this Code.

(Ord. 536, eff. October 3, 1987)

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 this title, except those provisions which by their very nature can have no application.

(Ord. 536, eff. October 3, 1987)

(a) The provisions of this title regulating the operation, parking and standing of vehicles shall not apply to vehicles operated by the Police Department 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 provisions of this title 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 this title 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. 536, eff. October 3, 1987)

Any regularly employed and salaried officer of the Police Department of this City may remove or cause to be removed:

(a) Upon a complaint, any vehicle that has been parked or left standing upon a street or highway for seventy-two (72) or more hours;

(b) Any vehicle parked or left standing on a highway or alley when such parking or standing is prohibited by signs posted giving notice of removal;

(c) 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 (24) hours prior to the removal.

(Ord. 536, eff. October 3, 1987)