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City of Watertown, WI
Dodge / Jefferson County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Code
New Laws (33) Index
No person may knowingly resist or obstruct an officer while such officer is doing any act in an official capacity and with lawful authority. "Obstruct" includes, without limitation, knowingly giving false information to the officer with intent to mislead him in the performance of his duty, or knowingly concealing his identity or falsely identifying himself in response to any inquiry by an officer. "Officer" means a peace officer or other public officer or public employee having the authority by virtue of his office or employment to take another into custody.
[Added by Ord. No. 94-15]
No person shall do any of the following, with intent to harass, annoy, alarm or intimidate a police officer, as defined in § 410-25 of this chapter, while acting in his official capacity: repeatedly insult, taunt or challenge a police officer in a violent, abusive, profane or boisterous manner, which could tend to cause or provoke an immediate disturbance of public order. Expressly included in the prohibited acts is making an obscene gesture to or at a police officer and/or directing obscene language to or at a police officer.
No person shall intentionally aid any prisoner or person to escape from the lawful custody of a police officer or peace officer of the City.
[Added by Ord. No. 11-13]
No person shall make or subscribe a false statement which he or she does not believe is true, while under oath or affirmation, when such oath or affirmation is authorized or required by law or is required by any public officer or governmental agency as a prerequisite to such officer or agency taking some official action.
[Amended by Ord. No. 94-22]
No person shall give or send or cause to be given or sent in any manner any alarm of fire, explosion or other emergency to the Fire or Police Department in the City, when such person knows the report to be false.
[Added by Ord. No. 94-23]
No person shall report or cause to be reported to the Police Department or Fire Department any information concerning the commission of any offense or other incident which would require Police or Fire Department response, when such person knows the information is false.
No person shall impersonate a police officer or peace officer within the City with intent to mislead others into believing that the person is actually a police officer or peace officer.
A. 
Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
CIVIL EMERGENCY
(1) 
A riot or unlawful assembly characterized by the use of actual force or violence or any threat to use force if accompanied by immediate power to execute such force by three or more persons acting together without authority by law.
(2) 
Any natural disaster or man-made calamity, including flood, conflagration, cyclone, blizzard, tornado, earthquake or explosion, within the City resulting in the death or injury of persons or the destruction of property to such an extent that extraordinary measures must be taken to protect the public health, safety and welfare.
CURFEW
A prohibition against any person or persons walking, running, loitering, standing or motoring upon any alley, street, highway, public property or vacant premises within the City during the hours in which a curfew has been imposed, excepting persons officially designated to duty with reference to said civil emergency.
B. 
Proclamation by Mayor.
(1) 
When in the judgment of the Mayor a civil emergency as defined herein is deemed to exist, he shall forthwith proclaim in writing the existence of same pursuant to § 323.11, Wis. Stats.
(2) 
In the event the Mayor is absent from the City during the time of any civil emergency, the Director of Emergency Government is delegated to exercise all authority under this section and § 323.11, Wis. Stats.
(3) 
In the event the Mayor and Director of Emergency Management are absent from the City during the time of any civil emergency, the Chief of Police is delegated to exercise all authority under this section and § 323.11, Wis. Stats.
C. 
Imposition of curfew. After proclamation of a civil emergency by the Mayor, he may order a general curfew applicable to such geographical areas of the City or to the City as a whole as he deems advisable and applicable during such hours of the day or night as he deems necessary in the interest of the public safety and welfare.
D. 
Additional regulations. After proclamation of a civil emergency, the Mayor may, in the interest of the public safety and welfare, make any or all of the following orders:
(1) 
Order the closing of all retail liquor stores.
(2) 
Order the closing of all taverns.
(3) 
Order the closing of all private clubs or portions thereof wherein the consumption of alcohol beverages is permitted.
(4) 
Order the discontinuance of the sale of all alcohol beverages.
(5) 
Order the discontinuance of selling, distributing or giving away of gasoline or other liquid flammable or combustible products in any container other than a gasoline tank properly affixed to a motor vehicle.
(6) 
Order the closing of gasoline stations and other establishments, the chief activity of which is the sale, distribution or dispensing of liquid, flammable or combustible products.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsections D(7) and (8), which addressed sale and distribution of firearms and ammunition and which immediately followed this subsection, were repealed 1-5-2021 by Ord. No. 20-33. This ordinance also provided for the renumbering of former Subsection D(9) as Subsection D(7).
(7) 
Issue such other orders as are necessary for the protection of life and property.
E. 
Emergency powers. During the period of a declared state of emergency, the Mayor shall have the power to invoke any or all of the following provisions:
(1) 
Alcoholic beverages. No person shall consume any alcoholic beverages in a public street or place which is publicly owned or in any motor vehicle driven or parked thereon which is in a duly designated restricted area.
(2) 
Weapons. No person shall carry or possess any rock, bottle, club, brick or weapon, who uses or intends to use the same unlawfully against the persons or property of another.
(3) 
Incendiary missiles. No person shall make, carry, possess or use any type of "Molotov cocktail," gasoline- or petroleum-based fire bomb or other incendiary missile.
(4) 
Restricted areas. No person shall enter any area designated by the Mayor as a restricted area unless in the performance of official duties or with written permission from the Mayor or his duly designated representative, or such person shall prove residence therein.