(a) For the purpose of locating stolen motor vehicles and/or stolen motor vehicle parts, the Chief of Police, or his or her authorized representative, may inspect any motor vehicle, as defined in RC 4501.01 and may inspect any motor vehicle part that has been marked with an identifying number by the manufacturer, situated in the City of Cleveland in any public garage, community garage, storage garage, service garage, repair shop, parking lot, auto sales lot, vehicle leasing or rental lot, motor vehicle salvage facility, scrap metal processing facility, auto wrecking yard, junk yard, or other similar establishment, and may inspect the title, registration, vehicle identification number, or license plates of the vehicle in order to establish the rightful ownership or possession of the vehicle or vehicle part.
(b) For the purpose of locating a stolen vehicle, the Chief of Police, or his or her authorized representative, may inspect implements of husbandry and construction equipment in places described in division (a) of this section.
(c) Whenever possible, inspections conducted pursuant to division (a) or (b) of this section shall be conducted at a time and in a manner so as to minimize any interference with, or delay of, business operations.
(d) No person, without privilege to do so and with purpose to prevent, obstruct, or delay the performance of a police officer from inspecting any place described in division (a), shall do any act which hampers or impedes a police officer from making an inspection pursuant to this section.
Whoever violates this section is guilty of obstructing vehicle inspections, a misdemeanor of the second degree.
(Ord. No. 137-86. Passed 1-13-86, eff. 1-16-86)