(a) For the purpose of locating stolen motor vehicles and/or stolen vehicle parts, the Chief of Police or his or her authorized representative may inspect any motor vehicle and any motor vehicle part that has been marked with an identifying number by the manufacturer, situated in the City 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. The Chief or his or her representative may inspect the title, registration, vehicle identification number or license plates of any such 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) hereof.
(c) Whenever possible, inspections conducted pursuant to division (a) or (b) hereof 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 in inspecting any place described in division (a) hereof, shall do any act which hampers or impedes a police officer from making an inspection pursuant to this section.
(e) Whoever violates this section is guilty of obstructing vehicle inspections, a misdemeanor of the second degree, and shall be subject to the penalty provided in § 408.01.
(Ord. O87-41, passed 4-7-1987)