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648.08   MAKING FALSE ALARMS.
   (a)   No person shall do any of the following:
      (1)   Initiate or circulate a report or warning of an alleged or impending fire, explosion, crime, or other catastrophe, knowing that the report or warning is false and likely to cause public inconvenience or alarm.
      (2)   Knowingly cause a false alarm of fire or other emergency to be transmitted to or within any organization, public or private, for dealing with emergencies involving a risk of physical harm to persons or property.
      (3)   Report to any law enforcement agency an alleged offense or other incident within its concern, knowing that the offense did not occur;
      (4)   Initiate or circulate a report or warning of an alleged or impending fire, explosion, crime, or other catastrophe, knowing that the report or warning is false and likely to impede the operation of a critical infrastructure facility.
   (b)   This section does not apply to any person conducting an authorized fire or emergency drill.
   (c)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of making false alarms. Except as otherwise provided in this division, making false alarms is a misdemeanor of the first degree. If a violation of this section results in economic harm of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more, making false alarms is a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate State law. If a violation of this section pertains to a purported, threatened, or actual use of a weapon of mass destruction, making false alarms is a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate State law.
   (d)   (1)   It is not a defense to a charge under this section that pertains to a purported or threatened use of a weapon of mass destruction that the offender did not possess or have the ability to use a weapon of mass destruction or that what was represented to be a weapon of mass destruction was not a weapon of mass destruction.
      (2)   Any act that is a violation of this section and any other section of the Ohio Revised Code or these Codified Ordinances may be prosecuted under this section, the other section, or both sections.
   (e)   As used in this section:
      (1)   “Critical infrastructure facility.” Has the same meaning as in R.C. § 2911.21.
      (2)   “Economic harm” and “weapon of mass destruction.” Have the same meaning as in R.C. § 2917.31.
(R.C. § 2917.32)
648.09   DISTURBING THE PEACE.
   (a)   No person shall disturb the good order and quiet of the Municipality by clamors, noises, intoxication, drunkenness, fighting, quarreling, wrangling, committing assault or assault and battery or using obscene or profane language, in the streets and other public places to the annoyance of the citizens, or otherwise violate the public peace by indecent and disorderly conduct, by lewd and lascivious behavior or by making, continuing to make or causing to be made any unreasonable and unnecessary noise of such a character, intensity and duration as to disturb the peace and quiet of the community or be detrimental to the life or health of any individual.
   (b)   The following acts are declared to be unreasonable and unnecessary noises in violation of division (a) of this section, but this enumeration shall not be deemed exclusive:
      (1)   Horns, signaling devices, etc. Sounding any horn or signaling device on any automobile, motorcycle, trolley coach or other vehicle on any street or public place of the City, except as a danger warning; creating, by means of any such signaling device, any unreasonably loud or harsh sound; sounding any such device for an unnecessary and unreasonable period of time; using any signaling device, except one operated by hand or electricity; using any horn, whistle or other device operated by engine exhaust; and using any such signaling device when traffic is held up for any reason.
      (2)   Radios, phonographs, etc. Playing, using or operating any radio receiving set, musical instrument, phonograph or other machine or device for producing or reproducing sound in such a manner as to disturb the peace, quiet and comfort of the neighboring inhabitants, or at any time with louder volume than is necessary for convenient hearing for the persons who are in the room, vehicle or chamber in which such machine or device is operated and who are voluntary listeners thereto, or permitting the same to be done. The operation of any such set, instrument, phonograph, machine or device between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 7:00 a.m. in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of 50 feet from the building, structure or vehicle in which it is located shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this section.
      (3)   Loudspeakers, amplifiers for advertising, etc. Playing, using or operating any radio receiving set, musical instrument, phonograph, loudspeaker, sound amplifier or other machine or device for producing or reproducing sound which is cast upon the public streets for the purpose of commercial advertising or attracting the attention of the public to any building or structure, or permitting the same to be done, except by special permission of the City Manager.
      (4)   Yelling, shouting, etc. Yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing on the public streets, particularly between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 7:00 a.m., or at any time or place so as to annoy or disturb the quiet, comfort or repose of persons in any office, dwelling, hotel or other type of residence, or of any person in the vicinity.
      (5)   Animals, birds, etc. Keeping any animal or bird which, by causing frequent or long continued noise, shall disturb the comfort or repose of persons in the vicinity.
      (6)   Steam whistles. Blowing any locomotive steam whistle or steam whistle attached to any stationary boiler, except to give notice of the time to begin or stop work, as a warning of fire or danger or upon request of proper City authorities.
   (c)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of disturbing the peace, a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.
(Ord. 4-95. Passed 3-20-95.)
648.10   INCITING TO VIOLENCE.
   (a)   No person shall knowingly engage in conduct designed to urge or incite another to commit any offense of violence when either of the following apply:
      (1)   The conduct takes place under circumstances that create a clear and present danger that any offense of violence will be committed.
      (2)   The conduct proximately results in the commission of any offense of violence.
   (b)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of inciting to violence. If the offense of violence that the other person is being urged or incited to commit is a misdemeanor, inciting to violence is a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the offense of violence that the other person is being urged or incited to commit is a felony, inciting to violence is a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate State law.
(ORC 2917.01)
648.11   PANHANDLING. (REPEALED)
   (EDITOR’S NOTE: Section 648.11 was repealed by Ordinance No. 01-19, passed January 28, 2019.)
648.12   IMPEDING PUBLIC PASSAGE OF AN EMERGENCY SERVICE RESPONDER.
   (a)   No person, without privilege to do so, shall recklessly obstruct any highway, street, sidewalk, or any other public passage in such a manner as to render the highway, street, sidewalk, or passage impassable without unreasonable inconvenience or hazard if both of the following apply:
      (1)   The obstruction prevents an emergency vehicle from accessing a highway or street, prevents an emergency service responder from responding to an emergency, or prevents an emergency vehicle or an emergency service responder from having access to an exit from an emergency.
      (2)   Upon receipt of a request or order from an emergency service responder to remove or cease the obstruction, the person refuses to remove or cease the obstruction.
   (b)   Division (a) of this section does not limit or affect the application of R.C. § 2921.31 or any other section of the Ohio Revised Code. Any conduct that is a violation of division (a) of this section and that also is a violation of R.C. § 2921.31 or any other section of the Ohio Revised Code may be prosecuted under this section, the other section of the Ohio Revised Code, or both sections.
   (c)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of unlawfully impeding public passage of an emergency service responder, a misdemeanor of the first degree.
   (d)   As used in this section, “emergency service responder” has the same meaning as in R.C. § 2903.13.
(R.C. § 2917.14)