Torrance Municipal Code Art. 2 Penal Provisions

(Amended by O-3903)

1. Whenever in this code or in any other ordinance of the City or in any rule or regulation promulgated pursuant thereto, any act is prohibited or made or declared to be unlawful or an offense, or the doing of any act is required or the failure to do any act is declared to be unlawful or a misdemeanor, where no specific penalty is provided for, the violation of any such provision of this code or any other ordinance, rule or regulation of the City shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or by both the fine and imprisonment or as otherwise established by Cal. Penal Code § 19 then in effect. The City or the City Attorney may cite or charge any of aforementioned violations and/or reduce any misdemeanor charge to an infraction.

2. Every day any violation of this code or any other ordinance, rule or regulation of the City shall continue shall constitute a separate offense.

(Added by O-925)

When any person is arrested for a violation of this Code or of any uncodified ordinances of the City and such person is not immediately taken before a magistrate as prescribed in the Penal Code of the State of California, the arresting officer shall prepare in duplicate a written notice to appear in court, containing the name and address of such person, the offense charged, and the time and place where and when such person shall appear in court.

(Added by O-925)

Any person wilfully violating his written promise to appear in court is guilty of a misdemeanor regardless of the disposition of the charge upon which he was originally arrested.

(Added by O-925)

When a person signs a written promise to appear at the time and place specified in the written promise to appear and has not posted bail as provided in Section 853.1 of the Penal Code of the State of California, or in any amendment thereto, or modification thereof, the magistrate shall issue and have delivered for execution, a warrant for his arrest within twenty (20) days after his failure to appear as promised, or if such person promises to appear before an officer authorized to accept bail other than a magistrate and fails to do so on or before the date which he promises to appear, then, within 20 days after the delivery of such written promise to appear by the officer to a magistrate having jurisdiction over the offense.

(Added by O-3302; Amended by O-3543; O-3746)

a) Pursuant to the provisions of Section 836.5 of the California Penal Code, or any amendment thereof, those classifications of officers and employees of the City of Torrance set forth herein shall be authorized to exercise the powers of arrest.

b) Those officers and employees listed herein may arrest a person without a warrant whenever the officer or employee has reasonable cause to believe that the person to be arrested has committed a misdemeanor in the presence of the officer or employee that is in violation of a statute or ordinance that the officer or employee has the duty to enforce.

c) The following classification of officers and employees of the City are hereby authorized to exercise powers of arrest:

1. Assistant Finance Director;

2. Revenue Inspector Collector;

3. Director of Building and Safety;

4. Building Regulations Administrator;

5. Building Inspection Supervisor;

6. Building Inspector;

7. Environmental Services Administrator;

8. Environmental Quality Officer;

9. Public Works Inspector;

10. Senior Public Works Inspector;

11. Senior Building Inspector;

12. Senior Electrical Inspector;

13. Senior Environmental Quality Officer;

14. Senior Mechanical Inspector;

15. Senior Plumbing Inspector;

16. Senior Grading Inspector;

17. Public Works Director;

18. Deputy Public Works Director; (Operations);

19. Deputy Public Works Director; (Engineering);

20. Sanitation Services Manager;

21. Streetscape Manager;

22. Street Services Supervisor (Sanitation);

23. Street Services Supervisor (Waste Water);

24. Street Services Supervisor (Streetscape);

25. Animal Control Supervisor;

26. Animal Control Officer;

27. Fire Fighter;

28. Fire Engineer;

29. Fire Captain;

30. Fire Battalion Chief;

31. Fire Assistant Chief;

32. Senior Fire Inspector;

33. Fire Prevention Specialist;

34. Senior Fire Prevention Specialist;

35. Senior Fire Prevention Officer;

36. Hazardous Materials Analyst;

37. Hazardous Materials Specialist.

(Added by O-3302; Amended by O-3386; O-3430; O-3543; O-3694; O-3713; O-3762; O-3903)

Except as may otherwise be provided in the Torrance Municipal Code or in the Master Fee Schedule adopted by the Torrance City Council for violation of certain ordinance provisions, violations of this Code are subject to the administrative fines as set forth in Sections 36900 and 36901 of the California Government Code, as amended.

(Added by O-3716)

Any person liable for a civil penalty will be required to pay the penalty provided on the bail schedule of parking penalties for parking violations, including process service fees, and any late payment penalty. In addition, if the City incurs collection costs in conjunction with the assignment of a parking citation, those costs will be added to the penalty and the violator will be liable to the city for both the civil penalties and the collection costs.