Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutO-1958-561i ORDINANCE N0. - =~°° ~~~ AN ORDINANCE LICENSING AND REGULATING PRIVATE DETECTIVES WITHIN THE CITY OF LA PORTS AND PROVIDING THAT ANY PERSON WHO SHALL VIOLATE THE ORDINANCE SHALL BE PUNISHED BY FINE NOT EXCEEDING TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS ($200.00) AND THAT EACH DAY'S VIOLATION SHALL CONSTITUTE A SEPARATE OFFENSE; AND PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF LA PORT E, TEXAS, THAT: Section 1. No person shall for compensation engage in the occupation of private detective or conduct a private detective agency within the City of La Porte without obtaining a license as herein provided. Section 2. Application for such license shall be in writing, filed with the City Clerk, stating the name and the business and the residence ad- dresses of the applicant, the length of his residence in the City of La Porte, all addresses at which he has resided within the preceding two (2) years, and whether he has ever been convicted of a felony or of a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude. The application shall be verified by the affidavit of the ap- plicant and accompanied by the recommendations, also verified by affidavit, of two (2) reputable persons who have been residents of the City of La Porte for I ~~ at least three (3) years immediately prior to the filing of such application, i~ ~~ which recommendations shall state the length of time that such persons have i I~ known the applicant, and shall vouch for his good moral character. ~I ~ Section 3. The City Clerk shall transmit the application to the Chief i ';!of Police, who shall cause to be made two (2) sets of fingerprints of the appli- I cant and shall make appropriate investigation of the applicant s record with ,~ ,'~!, reference to his honesty, trustworthiness and moral fitness to engage in the ~'i occupation of a private detective. If the Chief of Police shall find that the I!, applicant is so qualified, such finding shall be certified to the City Clerk, who ,~ ~:~ shall issue the license, after prior approval of the City Commission of the City ',';of La Porte, upon compliance with the requirements of Section 4 of this ordi- nance. Section 4. Before the license is issued, the applicant shall pay to the City Clerk One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) which is hereby assessed for the !'.purpose of paying a part of the cost of regulating private detectives; and the !;applicant shall file with the City Clerk a bond in the sum of One Thousand Dol- lars ($1,OOO.GO), executed by a surety company authorized to do business in the • C7 State of Texas, and conditioned that the applicant will not, in connection with -2- his occupation as a private detective, violate any State or federal law or any ordinance of the City of La Porte; and such bond shall be for the protection ofl'~, the City of La Porte and of any person damaged by a breach of the conditions !, of the bond. Section 5. A person holding a license under this ordinance may em- ~, ploy, in connection with such occupation, other persons who need not be licensed under this ordinance; but each of such employees doing the work of a detective shall deposit with the City Clerk a bond such as herein required of the licen- see, except that such employee's bond shall be in the amount of at least Five I-tundred Dollars ($5f10.t0). The licensee shall promptly report to the Chief of Police the name and residence address of any person so employed, and shall upon request of the Chief of Police furnish evidence of the good character of such employee. Tf the Chief of Police shall find sufficient evidence, after reason- able notice to the licensee and the employee of an opportunity to be heard, that the employee is a person who would not be qualified for a license under this ordinance, the Chief of Police -nay require that such employment be terminated ,'~ and the emplayer shall thereupon terminate the same. k Section 6. Licenses issued under this ordinance shall be good for one (1) year from the date of issuance and may be renewed from year to year without the filing of a new application upon payment of a renewal fee of Twenty-~ Five Dollars ($25.C~G) for each renewal and deposit of a surety bond as herein- above required. Section 7. After reasonable notice and an opportunity to be heard, a license may be revoked or suspended by the Chief of Police for a violation by the licensee of any provision of this ordinance or for a material misstatement {` in the application for such license, or if such licensee has been guilty of ,d i is fraud or dishonesty, whether convicted thereof in court or not, or has been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude. Section 8. Any person aggrieved by any action taken by the Chief of Police under this ordinance may appeal to the City Commission, which shall after reasonable notice and opportunity to be heard, take such action as should have been taken in accordance with the standards set forth in this ordinance. -3- Section 9. Licenses issued hereunder shall not constitute the licen- see a special officer, and shall not authorize him to make arrests or carry arms; but this provision is not intended to prevent the licensee from being appointed as a special officer under authority of any other law or ordinance. The licensee shall not represent himself to be a peace officer or wear any badge or insignia reasonably likely to lead any person on casual observation to believe him to be a peace officer unless such licensee is otherwise duly appointed a special offi- cer. Section 10. Any person who shall violate this ordinance shall be • deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction therefor shall be fined in any amount not to exceed the sum of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00), and each day's violation shall constitute a separate offense. Section 11. If any part of this ordinance shall be held void, the same shall be deemed severable and the invalidity thereof shall not effect the remaining parts of this ordinance. Section 12. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and • after its passage and approval and publication as required by law. ~~ ~ I PASSED AND APPROVED, this the ~_ day of s~~=``-~~'-~L~< ~'t-c.-` , A. D. 1950. 'ATTEST; "~ C ~ ~ ~,ty°Clerk of the City of La Porte, Texas / ~/ i ~ f Mayor of the~?Cit~o~" La Porte, Texas i lri