(a) There is hereby created a police identification number keeper register which shall be maintained by the police department of the city for the purpose of registering and recording identification numbers which have been assigned by the police department to private individuals or businesses in the city for use in identifying their articles of personal property for protection against loss, theft or burglary and as a means of identification and recovery of such items if lost or stolen. Participation in the police identification number keeper program shall be on a voluntary basis and at the option of the citizen.
(b) As used in this section, the term
POLICE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER shall mean a number or a combination of digits and letters which has been assigned by the police department of the city to a particular person or business for the purpose of identifying articles of personal property, which number shall have been recorded and registered in the police identification number keeper register, and which has been permanently inscribed, etched, affixed or attached to an item of personal property by the owner for the purpose of identifying same.
(c) It shall be unlawful for any person to alter, change, deface, erase or mutilate, for the purpose and intent of changing the identity, any police identification number which has been permanently inscribed, etched, affixed or attached to any article of personal property by the owner for the purpose of identification. It shall also be unlawful for any person to have in his or her possession any article of personal property, knowing that the police identification number placed on same by the owner for the purpose and intent of identification has been altered, changed, defaced, erased or mutilated, for the purpose and intent of changing the identity of such article of personal property.
(d) Any person or any agent or employee thereof who violates any of the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished as provided in § 1-6 of this code.
(1964 Code, § 29A-13) (Ord. 6639, §§ 1—4, passed 3-6-1972; Ord. 8433, § 1, passed 9-19-1981)