(a) No person shall, without lawful authority, attempt to or in fact alter, twist, deface, injure, knock down, remove or interfere with the effective operation of any official traffic control device or any railroad sign or signal or any inscription, shield or insignia thereon, or any other part thereof.
(b) No person shall place, maintain or display upon or in view of any highway any unauthorized sign, signal, marking or device which purports to be or is an imitation of or resembles an official traffic control device or railroad sign or signal, or which attempts to direct the movement of traffic, or which hides from view or interferes with the effectiveness of an official traffic control device or any railroad sign or signal.
(c) This section shall not be deemed to prohibit the erection upon private property adjacent to highways of signs giving useful directional information and of a type that cannot be mistaken for official signs.
(d) Every prohibited sign, signal or device is declared to be a public nuisance and the police chief is empowered to cause it to be removed without notice.
(1957 Rev. Ords., § 9.902; 1992 Code, § 40-118) (Ord. 31-76, passed 5-10-1976)