Reedley Municipal Code Ch. 13 Private Patrols

PRIVATE PATRON: Any person carrying on the business of night watchman, night watch service, private police officer or any other occupation the purpose of which is to afford additional police or fire protection to the public for hire or reward; provided, however, that nothing contained in this chapter shall be deemed or construed to apply to private police protection incident to the transportation for hire within the city of money, checks and other written instruments, of persons, or to escorts of funeral processions. (Ord. 437, 5-20-1969)

No person, either as owner, manager, employee or otherwise, shall manage, conduct, carry on or assist in the management, conducting or carrying on the business of private patrol unless under and by authority of a written permit from the chief of police. Such permits to manage, conduct or carry on any such occupation shall be issued upon the written application of any person for himself or on behalf of any corporation or association of persons, which application shall prescribe the boundaries of the district over which the applicant desires to operate. Said chief of police must first satisfy himself that the management, and its employees conducting or carrying on of said private patrol, will comport with the public welfare, and for this purpose may consider any facts or evidence bearing on the moral fitness and reputation of those who will be in charge of said private patrol, its employees and any other facts or evidence tending to enlighten said chief of police in this respect. Said permit shall prescribe the boundaries of the district over which the applicant shall operate. (Ord. 437, 5-20-1969)

When the chief of police shall have issued any permit under the terms of this chapter, the same may be revoked at any time thereafter by said chief of police when satisfied that the management, or its employees conducting or carrying on of such private patrol, does not or will not comport with the public welfare for any reason, or that said private patrol has been conducted in an illegal or improper manner. Said chief of police may make rules governing the management, conducting or carrying on of said private patrols and may revoke or suspend permits issued for the management or carrying on of any such occupation when the manager or person or persons in charge or its employees thereof violates or permits any infraction of any such rules, or any law of the state of California or any provision of this code. Provided, however, that the chief of police shall give notice of said revocation in writing and the permittee shall be furnished with a copy of the reasons for such revocation and shall be allowed a reasonable time for answering the same in writing, and in such answer said permittee may demand a hearing before the city council. Upon said hearing, the city council may order the permit restored or may affirm the previous order of revocation. (Ord. 437, 5-20-1969)

No license shall be issued to any person for the managing, conducting, carrying on or assisting in the managing, conducting or carrying on of the business of private patrols until after a permit in writing therefor, as provided for in this chapter, shall have been issued by the chief of police and a copy thereof transmitted by the chief of police to the city clerk. (Ord. 437, 5-20-1969)

Whenever any permit provided for herein shall have been revoked, notice of such revocation must be forthwith filed by the chief of police with the city clerk, and after such notice of revocation is so filed, the chief of police shall not issue any further license to any person whose permit is so revoked until a new permit shall have been granted to such person, or unless the city council shall have ordered the permit restored. (Ord. 437, 5-20-1969)