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HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD 1466f ORDINANCE NO. 1.4.66. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON, RELATING TO AND PROVIDING FOR THE REGULATION OF AND LICENSING OF PRIVATE DETECTIVE BUSINESSES, PRIVATE DETECTIVES, AND 1,MCHANT PATROLMEN AS HEREIN DEFINED, FIXING LICENSE FEES THEREFOR., DEFINING OFFENSES AND PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR THE VIOLATION THEREOF AND REPEALING ALL ORDINAN- CES AND PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RENT ON: SECTION 1, DEFINITIONS: The words and phrases used herein, unless the context otherwise indicates shall have the following meanings: (a) The words "Private detective business" or"Private detect- ive agency" shall mean and include the business of, or the representation of being engaged in the business of, making for - hire or reward investigation or investigations with reference to any of the following matters: (1) Detecting, discovering or revealing crime or criminals, or securing secret information or evidence relating thereto; (2) Discovering or revealing the identity, whereabouts, character or actions of any person or persons, thing or things; (3) The habits, conduct, movements, Thereabouts, associations, - transactions, reputations or character of any person, firm or corporation; (4) The credibility of witnesses or other persons; (5) The location or recovery of lost or stolen property; (6) The causes, origin or responsibility for fires or accidents or injuries to real or personal property. (7) The affiliation, connection or relation of any person, firm or corporation with any union or non-union organization, with any official member or representative thereof, or with any person or persons seeking employment in the place of any person or persons who have quit work by reason of any strike; (8) The truth or falsity of any statement or representation; r _ J-91 The business of securing for hire or reward evidence to be used before authorized investigating committees, boards of award or arbitration, or in the trial of civil or criminal cases; (b) The words "private detective" shall mean and include any natural person of either sex who engages in, or advertises or holds himself out as being engaged in the private detective business or private detective agency as agent or employee of a duly licensed business or such agency. (c) The term "merchant patrolman" is defined to mean a person who, for hire or reward, as a business whether as independent contractor or as agent, guards or protects persons or other person's property, and/or patrols streets, districts or terri- tories .for such purposes. SECTION 2. It shall be unlawful for any person, unless duly licensed pursuant to the provisions of this Ordinance, to engage in, or to advertise or to hold himself out as being engaged in the private detective business; provided that no license required by Sections No. 3 and No. 4 herein shall be granted to any person who within ten (10) years of the date of application for such license has been convicted of any felony. SECTION 3. The fee for any person to engage in the private detective business or agency shall be and is hereby fixed in the sum of $25.00 per year and such license shall be known as the "Detective Agency License". SECTION _4. It shall be unlawful for any person, whether licensed as a detective agency or business or not, to engage in the private detective business or to act, or engage in business as a private detective without first having obtained and being the owner and holder of a valid and subsisting license so to do, said license to be known as a "Private Detective License" the fee for which shall be and it is hereby fixed in the sum of $15.00 per annum; provided that a "Private Detective License" shall, without the p.ayment of any fee therefore, be issued to an individual, or to one member of a partnership or firm or to one officer of a corpora- tion holding a "Detective Agency License" or employed by the holder of a "Detective Agency License"; on such "Private Detective License" shall be designated the number of the detective agency license by reason of which the "Private Detective License" is issued, and such license shall be in force and effect only as long as such person is possessed of, or is a member of a partnership or officer of a corporation holding, or is employed by the holder of, such "Detective Agency'License". -2- SECTION 5. It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to be or become a merchant patrolman without being the holder of a valid and subsisting license, issued under the provisions of this Ordinance, such license to be designated as "Merchant Patrolman's License". The fee for such license shall be X15.00 per year. No person, firm or corporation holding a Merchant Patrolman's License hereunder shall be required to hold a "Detective Agency License" or a "Private Detective License" as hereinabove specified, in order to engage in the business as a merchant patrolman. SECTION 6. APPLICATION FOR LICENSES: Applications for a "Detective Agency License", a "Private Detective License" or a "Merchant Patrolman's License" shall be made to the City Clerk of the City of Renton on forms to be furnished and prescribed by him for that purpose and said applications shall be signed and verified by the applicant, stating among others, his full name, age and residence, his present and previous occupations and the address of the place of business and the name of his employer. The City Clerk upon presentation of such application, and before acting upon the same, shall forward said application to the Chief of Police of the City of Renton to make a full investigation as to the truth of the statements contained therein and as to any and all other matters which might tend to aid the Chief of Police in determining whether or not the application shall be granted by the City Clerk. The Chief of Police shall, within thirty (30) days after date of such request by the City Clerk, furnish a written report unto the City Clerk containing the results of his investigation and shall make therein his recommendations whether such license shall be issued or denied. The City Clerk, upon being satisfied that the state- ments contained in said application are true and the report of the Chief of Police showing that the applicant is of good moral character and recommending the issuance of such a license, shall issue the license applied for in accordance with the provisions of this Ordinance, other- wise said application shall be denied. In case of such denial the applicant shall have thirty (30) days from datefhereof to appeal to the -3- } City Council of the City of Renton. SECTION 7. If, after issuance of alicense as hereinabove speci- fied, the Chief of Police shall find and determine that any person licensed hereunder has been convicted of a criminal violation of Federal, State or Municipal law, and that such conviction established that such licensee is no longer of good, moral character and reputa- tion, then the Chief of Police shall make a written report to the City Council outlining the circumstances surrounding such matter and the Chief of Police shall make recommendations to the City Council regarding the suspension or revocation of the license heretofore issued to such person. After considering the said report and before revoking or suspending any such license, the City Council shall order a hearing thereof and shall notify the licensee of the date of said hearing and of the subject matter thereof at least ten (10) days prior to the date fixed for said hearing and said notice shall require the licensee to show cause, if any he have, on such date, why such license shall not be suspended or revoked. In case of such revocation of license, the same shall be taken up by the Chief of Police and cancelled by the City Clerk; in case of suspension of such license the same shall be surrendered unto the City Clerk and shall be returned to the licensee upon termination of the period of suspension. SECTION 8. Nothing in this Ordinance requiring licensing shall apply to any officer or employee of any State, County, City or Town, appointive or elected by due authority of law nor to any pe rson, firm or corporation, whose business is the furnishing of information as to the business and financial standing and credit of persons, firms or corporations nor to any person, firm or corporation inquiring into the personal habits and financial responsibility of applicants for insurance, indemnity bonds or commercial credit or of claimants or applicants under insurance policies, and/or the investigation of losses, if any, covered thereunder. SECTION 9. Any person violating or failing to comply with any of the provisions of this Ordinance shall be deemed guilty of a mis- demeanor., and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine in -4- any sum not exceeding x$''.'100.00 or by imprisonment in the City Jail for a period not exceeding thirty (30) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. SECTION 10. That if any section.; provision or part thereof in this Ordinance shall be adjudged to be invalid or unconstitutional, such adjudication shall not effect the validity of the Ordinance as a whole or any section, provision or any part thereof not adjudged invalid or unconstitutional. SECTI ON 11. This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect JyNv1a, jl 11 4� on fter its passage, approval and legal publication as provided by law. PASSED by the City Council this 24th day of October, 1953• o /g Wilekq Crook, City Clerk APPROVED by the Ivlayor this 24th day of OctD ber, 1953. proved as to fo m• Gerard M. Shellan Assistant City Attorney. Date of publicatior; December 3, 1953 -5- oe A. barter, mayor