(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to place, maintain, or display on or in view of any street any unauthorized sign, signal, marking, or device which purports to be or is an imitation of or resembles an official traffic device or railroad sign or signal which attempts or purports to direct the movement of traffic, or which conceals or hides from view or interferes with the effectiveness of any official control device or any railroad sign or signal. No person shall place or maintain, nor shall any public authority permit on any street, any traffic sign or signal bearing any commercial advertising. Nothing in this section shall be construed as restricting any public department or public utility of the city in any emergency or temporarily from marking or erecting any traffic barrier or sign whose placing has been approved by the Chief of Police.
(B) Every such prohibited sign, signal, or marking is declared to be a public nuisance and the Chief of Police is empowered forthwith to remove it or cause it to be removed.