(A) (1) Police officers are hereby authorized to give notice to persons violating provisions of this chapter, by delivering citation tags to violators or, in cases where vehicles without drivers are parked or stopped in violation of this chapter, by affixing the tags to the vehicles by means of which the violation occurred. The citation tags shall indicate briefly the charge, shall bear the registration number of the vehicle and shall direct the violator to present the tag at the police station or other designated place within five days or other reasonable time as may be specified thereon.
(2) Nothing in this section shall abridge the power to arrest any violator, to take him or her into custody or to file a complaint against him or her at any time.
(B) The City Council may require that police officers use serially-numbered citation tags furnished by the City Clerk, and the City Council may also regulate the use and handling of citation tags.
(C) (1) If a violator of any provision of this chapter who has been given a citation tag as provided above, fails to appear in accordance with the instructions of the tag, the Chief of Police or his or her authorized agent shall send a letter or other written notice to the owner of the vehicle involved, informing him or her of the violation, warning him or her to appear and directing that, in the event the letter or notice is disregarded for a period of five days, a complaint will be filed and a warrant of arrest issued.
(2) Nothing in this section shall abridge the power to file a complaint against him or her prior to the expiration of the time.
(D) In the event any person fails to comply with a citation tag given to the person, or attached to a vehicle, the Chief of Police shall have a complaint entered against the person before the Municipal Judge. The Judge shall issue a warrant for his or her arrest.
(2002 Code, § 71.03)