Montebello Municipal Code Ch. 10.04 Administration and Enforcement of Traffic Regulations

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 the 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. 2058 § 1 (part), 1991: prior code § 3201.03)

No person other than an officer of the police department or a person deputized by the chief of police or 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 pushbutton signal erected by the director of public works.

(Ord. 2058 § 1 (part), 1991: prior code § 3201.05)

The provisions of this title shall apply to the driver of any vehicle owned by or used in the service of the United States Government, this state, any county or city, and it is unlawful for any said driver to violate any of the provisions of this title except as otherwise permitted in this code or by federal, state or county statute.

(Ord. 2058 § 1 (part), 1991: prior code § 3201.06)

A. The provisions of this title regulating the operation, parking and standing of vehicles shall not apply to any vehicle of the police or fire department, any public ambulance or any public utility vehicle or private ambulance which has qualified as an authorized emergency vehicle, when any such vehicle is operated in the manner specified in the Vehicle Code in response to any emergency call.

B. The foregoing exemptions shall not, however, protect the driver of any such vehicle from the consequences of his/her 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 by the United States while in use for the collection, transportation or delivery of United States mail.

(Ord. 2058 § 1 (part), 1991: prior code § 3201.07)

A. The chief of police shall have the power to place and maintain or cause to be placed and maintained an automated traffic enforcement system, as defined herein. The automated traffic enforcement system shall be identified by appropriate signs, clearly indicating the systems presence at any designated location, visible to traffic approaching from all directions, or alternatively, identified by signs posted at all major entrances to the city, including, at a minimum, freeways, bridges, and state highway routes. All signs shall be in place and sufficiently legible to be seen by an ordinary observant person, giving notice of the use of the automated traffic enforcement system. All signs related to the automated traffic enforcement system shall be placed and maintained by the director of public works, or his or her designee.

B. For purposes of this section, the definition of an automated traffic enforcement system shall be consistent with the definition of such term as defined in the Vehicle Code of this state, and shall be defined as any system operated by a governmental agency, in cooperation with a law enforcement agency, that photographically records a driver's responses to an official traffic control signal, and is designed to obtain a clear photograph of a vehicle's license plate and the driver of the vehicle.

C. At least thirty calendar days prior to the commencement of operation of the automated traffic enforcement system, the chief of police, or his or her designee, shall publicly announce the use and implementation of the automated traffic enforcement system, and shall identify the specific locations or intersections equipped with the automated traffic enforcement system. For the first thirty calendar days of operation of the automated traffic enforcement system, the police department shall only be authorized to issue warning notices to traffic violators.

D. The chief of police, in cooperation with the department of public works, shall have the power to relocate, replace and add to the automated traffic enforcement system, provided the appropriate signs are in place prior to the implementation to the change in the automated traffic enforcement system.

E. In accordance with the Vehicle Code of this state, photographic records made by an automated traffic enforcement system shall be confidential, and shall be made available only to governmental agencies and law enforcement agencies; except that the registered owners or any individual identified by the registered owner as the driver of the vehicle at the time of the alleged violation shall be permitted to review the photographic evidence of the alleged violation.

(Ord. 2210 § 1, 2000)