CHAPTER 9
GENERAL OFFENSES AND NUISANCE CONTROL

ARTICLE 5
OFFENSES AGAINST GOVERNMENT AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE

Section 9-5-1. False Reports.

(a)

It is unlawful for any person to report the existence of a fire or other emergency to the police, fire department or any other agency empowered to deal with an emergency involving risk or injury to persons or property, when such person knows the report to be false. For the purposes of this subsection, "fire department" means any fire protection district or fire fighting agency of the state, county or municipality, whether the employees or officers of such agency are volunteers or receive compensation for their services as firemen, or both.

(b)

It is unlawful for any person to report or cause to be reported to any police agency any information concerning the commission of any offense or other incident which would require police action, when:

(1)

Such person knows that no such offense or other incident has occurred; or

(2)

Such person knows that the information is false or that such person has no such information; or

(3)

Such person knows the information is false and the information is given for the purpose of implicating another.

(c)

It is unlawful for any person to make telephone calls to the City's police, fire or emergency telephone numbers, including 911, when such person makes the call knowingly but for no legitimate purpose. This subsection shall apply regardless of whether the person who makes the call speaks or in any way communicates to the person answering the call.

(d)

It is unlawful for a person knowingly to give false information or a false name or a false address to a police officer acting under color of official authority with the purpose of implicating another or with the intent to conceal or to hide one's own real name, address or age.

[Source: Ord. 1093, 1994; 1824, 2022]

Section 9-5-2. Impersonating a Peace Officer. it is unlawful for any person to impersonate a peace officer. Any person who falsely pretends to be a peace officer and performs an act in that pretended capacity commits impersonating a peace officer.

[Source: Ord. 1093, 1994]

Section 9-5-3. Impersonating a Public Servant.

(a)

It is unlawful for any person to impersonate a public servant. A person commits impersonating a public servant if he falsely pretends to be a public servant other than a peace officer and performs any act in that pretended capacity.

(b)

It is no defense to a prosecution under this section that the office the actor pretended to hold did not in fact exist.

[Source: Ord. 1093, 1994]

Section 9-5-4. Interfering with Public Officers or Employees.

(a)

It is unlawful for any person to willfully and without authority interfere with any officer of the City in the Discharge of such officer's or her duty, or to fail or refuse to comply with the order of any officer having police power within the City.

(b)

It is unlawful for any person to drive a vehicle to or close by the scene of a fire, explosion, traffic accident, riot or impending riot, other disaster or investigation so as to obstruct or impede the arrival, departure or operation of any fire truck, police vehicle, ambulance or any other emergency vehicle, or to fail to move a vehicle from the scene of such disaster when ordered to do so by police officers, fire personnel, emergency personnel or military personnel in the performance of their duties in coping with such fire, explosion, traffic accident, riot or impending riot, other disaster or investigation.

(c)

It is unlawful for any person to knowingly resist, interfere with, impede or obstruct any police officer, fireman, City employee or other public official who is attempting to discharge or is in the course of discharging an official duty.

(d)

It is unlawful for any person to threaten violence, reprisal or any other injurious act to any police officer, fire personnel, City employee or other public official who is engaged in the performance of such person's official duties, or to make such a threat by reason of such officer's performance or attempted performance of such person's official duties.

[Source: Ord. 1093, 1994; 1824, 2022]

Section 9-5-5. Resisting Arrest--Escaping Custody--Rescuing Prisoner.

(a)

It is unlawful for any person to prevent or attempt to prevent a police officer, acting under color of such officer's official authority, from effecting the arrest of any person, by the use or threatened use of force or physical violence or any other means which creates a substantial risk of causing physical injury to such police officer.

(b)

"Police Officer", as used in the section, means any person defined as a peace officer by C.R.S. Section 18-1-901, as amended, who is in uniform or who has displayed such officer's credentials to the person whose arrest is attempted.

(c)

A police officer is "acting under color of such officer's official authority" when, in the course of such officer's duties, such officer is called upon to make or does in fact make a good-faith judgment, based on surrounding facts and circumstances, that an arrest should be made. It is no defense to a prosecution under this section that the arrest was unlawful if the police officer was acting under color of such officer's authority and did not use unreasonable or excessive force in effecting the arrest.

(d)

It is unlawful for any person to escape or attempt to escape, or in any manner aid another to escape, or attempt to rescue or rescue a person, from the custody of a police officer or from the custody of any person aiding such police officer after being commanded by such police officer to so take such person into custody; provided, that the provisions of this section shall not apply when the escapee is being held for a felony or charged with any felony.

[Source: Ord. 1093, 1994; 1824, 2022]

Section 9-5-6. Disobeying--Refusing to Aid.

(a)

It is unlawful for any person knowingly to disobey the lawful or reasonable order of police officers, fire personnel, emergency personnel or military personnel, given incident to the discharge of the official duties of such police officers or fire personnel or incident to the duties of emergency personnel or military personnel when coping with an emergency, explosion or other disaster.

(b)

A person commits an unlawful act when, upon command by a person known to such person as a police officer, such person unreasonably refuses to aid such police officer in coping with an emergency situation.

[Source: Ord. 1093, 1194; 1824, 2022]

Section 9-5-7. Failure to Appear in Court.

(a)

It is unlawful for any person willfully to fail to appear in the Municipal Court of the City of Northglenn on the date when and at the time and place where summoned to appear by any police officer or other officer of the City of Northglenn in writing.

(b)

It is unlawful for any person willfully to fail to appear in the Municipal Court of the City of Northglenn on the date when and at the time and place where required by any lawful process duly served.

(c)

It is unlawful for any person willfully to fail to appear in the Municipal Court of the City of Northglenn on the date when and at the time and place where required by an order of the Municipal Court which has been:

(1)

Made by the Court in the presence of such person; or

(2)

Reduced to writing and served upon such person by personal service.

(d)

The provisions of this section shall not be deemed or construed to prevent or preclude an appearance by counsel when such appearance is allowed by the Colorado Rules of Municipal Court Procedure.

(e)

The provisions of this section shall not be deemed an exclusive remedy and shall not limit the contempt power of the Municipal Court.

[Source: Ord. 1093, 1994]

Section 9-5-8. Unlawful Interference--Public Buildings and Proceedings. It is unlawful for any person to so conduct themselves at or in any public building owned, operated or controlled by the City, the state or any of its political subdivisions, in such a manner so as to willfully deny to any public official, public employee or any invitee on such premises, the lawful rights of such official, employee or invitee to enter, use or leave the facilities of any such public building.

[Source: Ord. 1093, 1994; 1824, 2022]

Section 9-5-9. Unlawful Interference--Education Institutions.

(a)

It is unlawful for any person, other than an authorized school official, on or within one hundred feet (100') of the premises or facilities of any educational institution to willfully deny to students, school officials, employees and invitees;

(1)

Lawful freedom of movement on the premises;

(2)

Lawful use of the property or facilities of such institution;

(3)

The right of lawful ingress and egress to the institution's physical facilities.

(b)

It is unlawful for any person on the premises of any educational institution or within one hundred feet (100') of any building or other facility being used by any educational institution to willfully impede the staff or faculty of such institution in the lawful performance of their duties or to willfully impede a student of such institution in the lawful pursuit of such person's educational activities through the use of restraint, coercion or intimidation or with force and/or violence or threatened violence.

(c)

It is unlawful for any person to willfully refuse or fail to leave the property of, or any building or other facility used by, any educational institution upon being requested to do so by the chief administrative officer, such official's designees charged with maintaining order on the school premises and in its facilities or a dean of such education institution.

(d)

Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent lawful assembly and peaceful and orderly petition for the redress of grievances, including any labor dispute between an educational institution and its employees, any contractor or subcontractor or any employee thereof.

(e)

"Educational institution", as used in this section means any organization whose purpose is to instruct or train people to develop and use their mental, moral and physical powers, whether governmentally funded or otherwise.

[Source: Ord. 1093, 1994; 1824, 2022]