Pacifica Municipal Code Ch. 7 Issuance of Citations by Designated Officers and Employees

Officers and employees of the City who have the discretionary duty to enforce a statute or ordinance may, pursuant to Section 836.5 of the Penal Code of the State and subject to the provisions of this chapter, whenever any such officer or employee has reasonable cause to believe that the person has committed a misdemeanor in the officer's or employee's presence which he or she has the discretionary duty to enforce, issue a notice to appear and release such person on his or her written promise to appear in court, pursuant to Chapter 5 (c), commencing with Section 853.6 of the Penal Code of the State. No officer or employee shall be allowed to exercise the citation authority conferred by this chapter unless such officer or employee is within a classification of City officers and employees designated by resolution of the Council to exercise such citation authority as to specified violations. The City Manager shall establish and cause to be administered a special enforcement training program designed to instruct each officer and employee who will exercise such citation authority regarding the provisions of the statutes and ordinances to be enforced, the evidentiary prerequisites to proper prosecution for violations thereof, the appropriate procedures for prudently exercising such citation authority, and the legal and practical ramifications and limitations attendant thereto.

(§ 1, Ord. 282-C.S., eff. December 10, 1980)