A. Issuance Of Citation Tags; Arrests:
1. Police officers are hereby authorized to give notice to persons violating provisions of this title by delivering citation tags to violators or, in cases where vehicles without drivers are parked or stopped in violation of this title, by affixing such tags to the vehicles by means of which the violation occurred. Such citation tags, among other things, shall bear briefly the charge and the registration number of the vehicle, and shall direct the violator to present the tag at the police station or other designated place within the time as may be specified thereon.
2. Nothing in this subsection A shall be construed to abridge the power of a police officer to arrest any violator and take him into custody.
3. The Chief of Police may require that the police use citation tags furnished by the Town and that such tags are serially numbered, and may regulate the use and handling of the citation tags. (2014 Code § 15-222)
B. Disposition And Records Of Citations And Complaints:
1. Every police officer, upon issuing a traffic citation to an alleged violator of any provision of this title, shall deposit the citation with an immediate superior officer who shall cause the original to be delivered to the Municipal Court of the Town and the central records section of the Police Department.
2. Upon the filing of such original citation in the Municipal Court of the Town, the citation may be disposed of by the Town Attorney, by trial in the court or by other official action by a Judge of the court, including the settlement of bail or the payment of a fine, or may be dismissed by the Judge if, in his opinion, the actions complained of do not constitute a violation of traffic ordinances.
3. The Chief of Police shall require the return to him of each traffic citation and all copies thereof, except that copy required to be retained in the book as provided herein, which has been spoiled or upon which an entry has been made, and has not been issued to an alleged violator.
4. The Chief of Police shall also maintain or cause to be maintained in connection with every traffic citation issued by a member of the Police Department a record of the disposition of the charge by the Municipal Court of the Town.
5. The Chief of Police shall also maintain or cause to be maintained a record of all warrants issued by the Municipal Court of the Town, all the traffic fines which are delivered to the Police Department for service and of the final disposition of the warrant. (2014 Code § 15-223)
C. Citation As A Lawful Complaint: In the event the form of citation provided herein includes information and is sworn to, then such citation, when filed with the Municipal Court, shall be deemed to be a lawful complaint for the purpose of prosecution under this chapter. (2014 Code § 15-224)
D. Failure To Comply With Citations Attached To Parked Vehicle:
1. If a violator of the restrictions on stopping, standing, or parking under the traffic laws or ordinances does not appear in response to a traffic citation affixed to such motor vehicle within a period of days as specified on the citation, the Clerk of the Municipal Court may send to the owner of the motor vehicle to which the traffic citation was affixed a letter informing him of the violation and warning him that in the event such letter is disregarded for the specified period of days, a warrant of arrest may be issued.
2. On any occasion where two (2) or more such traffic citations have been affixed on the same vehicle and the traffic citations have been disregarded, a warrant of arrest may be issued without sending the letter provided in this subsection D. (2014 Code § 15-225)
E. Cancellation Of Citations Prohibited: It is unlawful and official misconduct for any member of the Police Department or other officer or public employee to dispose of, alter, or deface any traffic citation or any copy thereof or the record of issuance of any traffic citation, complaint or warrant in any manner other than is required in this section. (2018 Code)