Beloit Municipal Code

If you ever wondered, here it is: http://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientId=12549

Lots on stuff in there that is blatantly illegal - such as the prohibition on concealed carry:

15.07 - FIREARMS AND WEAPONS, USE OF .

(1)

CONCEALED WEAPONS. No person except a peace officer shall go armed with a concealed and dangerous weapon within the City. A "dangerous weapon" is any firearm loaded or unloaded, any device designed as a weapon and capable of producing death or bodily harm, or any other device or instrumentality which, in the manner it is used or intended to be used is calculated or likely to produce death or great bodily harm. It shall include any knife or bladed instrument having a blade 3 inches or longer.

(2)

SWITCH BLADE KNIVES PROHIBITED. Section 941.24, Wis. Stats., is adopted by reference and made a part of this section except that the penalty for violation thereof shall be as provided in §25.04 of this Municipal Code.

(3)

SALE OF FIREARMS AND WEAPONS TO MINORS FORBIDDEN. No person shall sell any firearm, blackjack, billy, bludgeon, cross-knuckles, knuckles of any metal, bowie knife, dirkknife, dirk dagger or switch blade knife, or loan such items to any minor within the City.

(4)

DISCHARGING FIREARMS. No person shall fire or discharge any firearm or air gun within the City, except a police officer in the lawful discharge of his duty, provided this subsection shall not apply to the target practice of the regular club, or any shooting gallery conducted within the permission of the Police Department.

(5)

BOW AND ARROW. No person shall shoot or discharge any bow and arrow of a type which could cause personal injury or death within the City, provided this section shall not apply to practice or match shoots of regular clubs or other persons upon prior notification of and permission by the Police Department.

(6)

PENALTY. (Cr. #1304; Am. #2778) Any person convicted of a violation of any provision of this section shall be subject to a penalty as provided in §15.30 of this Municipal Code, or if no penalty is prescribed by that section, shall be subject to a penalty as provided in §25.04 of this Municipal Code.

Our concealed carry law explicitly allows carrying a knife for self-defense - and there's no limit on size that I have seen, as long as it's not a "switchblade" or similar assisted opening knife.

Or just dumb - like snowball fights are illegal:

15.08 - STONES AND MISSILES, THROWING OF PROHIBITED .

No person shall throw or shoot any object, stone, snowball or other missile or projectile by hand or by other means at any other person or at, in or into any building, street, sidewalk, alley, highway, park, playground or other public place within the City. 

How about CB radios? I thought we had the FCC for this, but Beloit evidently thinks they need a special ordinance:

15.125 - CITIZENS BAND RADIOS. (Cr. #2671)

(1)

PURPOSE AND FINDINGS. The City Council of the City Beloit finds that some citizens band radio operators in the City of Beloit have operated their citizens band stations in violation of the rules and regulations published by the Federal Communications Commission in 47 CFR, Part 95, Subpart D. The City Council also finds that the Federal Communications Commission has failed to enforce its rules and regulations relating to the operation of citizens band stations. Therefore, it is necessary for the City of Beloit to enforce the rules and regulations of the Federal Communications Commission in order to protect the health and safety of the citizens of Beloit. More specifically, the City Council finds that it is necessary to protect its citizens from unsolicited and unwanted invasions of their homes and interference with their home electronic devices caused by irresponsible citizens band station operators.

(2)

DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS:

Antenna means the radiating system (for transmitting, receiving, or both) and the structure holding it up (tower, pole or mast) and everything else attached to the radiating system and the structure.

CB means citizens band.

Citizens band radio service or CB radio service means private, two-way short distance voice communications service for personal or business activities or for voice paging.

Citizens band station or CB station means a radio station transmitting in the CB radio service.

Citizens band transmitter or CB transmitter means:

1.

An apparatus that converts electrical energy received from a source into radio frequency energy capable of being radiated; and

2.

An apparatus authorized by the FCC, pursuant to an application filed after September 9, 1976, for use in the operation of a CB station.

CFR means Code of Federal Regulations.

FCC means Federal Communications Commission.

Radio frequency interference means radio frequency energy which:

1.

Is radiated from a CB station; and

2.

Interferes with the operation of electronic devices located off the premises of the CB station.

(3)

CHANNELS AND FREQUENCIES. No person may operate a CB radio station on any channel or at any frequency other than the channels and frequencies authorized by 47 CFR 95.407 which is adopted herein by reference.

(4)

ANTENNAS:

(a)

Antennas in Fixed Locations. Antennas installed at fixed locations (whether receiving, transmitting, or both) must comply with either of the following:

1.

The highest point must not be more then 20 feet higher than the highest point of the building or tree on which it is mounted; or

2.

The highest point must not be more than 60 feet above the ground.

(b)

Portable Antennas. Antennas mounted on hand-held portable units need not comply with the limitations imposed upon antennas installed at fixed locations.

(5)

FCC APPROVED TRANSMITTERS. No person may use a CB transmitter unless that transmitter has a FCC type-accepted transmitter with a type-acceptance label placed on it by the manufacturer. No person may make internal modifications to a type-accepted CB transmitter. No person shall use a CB transmitter type-accepted pursuant to an application filed with the Federal Communications Commission prior to September 10, 1976. No person may sell a CB transmitter type-accepted pursuant to such application.

(6)

TRANSMITTER POWER OUTPUT. No person shall use a CB station transmitter with a power output exceeding either of the following values:

(a)

AM (A3)—4 watts (carrier power)

(b)

SSB—12 watts (peak envelope power)

(7)

AMPLIFIERS PROHIBITED. No person may attach the following power amplifiers to a type-accepted CB transmitter:

(a)

An external radio frequency power amplifier (sometimes called linears or linear amplifiers); or

(b)

Any other device which, when used with a radio transmitter as a signal source, is capable of amplifying the signal. It shall be presumed that a CB operator used a linear or other external radio frequency power amplifier if:

1.

A linear or other external radio frequency power amplifier is found in the operator's possession or on the premises from which the CB radio station transmits.

2.

There is evidence that the CB station was operated with more power than permitted by subsection (6) of this section.

(8)

RESPONSIBILITY FOR COMMUNICATIONS. The occupants of the premises upon which a CB station is located shall be responsible for all CB communications made from the CB station and for all CB equipment kept on the premises.

(9)

PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS. CB station operators shall transmit two-way plain language communications without codes or coded messages. Operating signals such as "ten codes" are not considered codes or coded messages. A CB station operator may transmit two-way plain language communications only to other CB stations, to units of the operator's CB station or to authorized government stations on CB frequencies about:

(a)

Personal or business activities of the operator or members of the operator's immediate family living in the operator's household.

(b)

Emergencies.

(c)

Traveler assistance.

(d)

Civil defense activities in connection with official tasks or drills conducted by, or actual emergencies announced by, the civil defense agency with authority over the area in which the CB station is located.

(e)

No person shall transmit one-way communications except for:

1.

Emergency communications;

2.

Traveler assistance;

3.

Brief tests (radio checks); or

4.

Voice paging.

(f)

No person may use a CB station:

1.

For any activity which is against federal, state or local law.

2.

To transmit obscene, indecent or profane words, language or meanings.

3.

To intentionally interfere with the communications of another CB station.

4.

To advertise or solicit the sale of any goods or services.

5.

To transmit music, whistling, sound effects or any material to amuse or entertain.

6.

To transmit any sound effect solely to attract attention.

7.

To transmit the word "MAYDAY" or any other international distress signal, except when the CB station is located in a vehicle, the occupants of which are threatened by grave and imminent danger and in need of immediate assistance.

8.

To communicate with, or to attempt to communicate with, any CB station more than 155.3 miles away (250 kilometers).

9.

To advertise a political candidate or political campaign.

10.

To transmit false or deceptive communication.

11.

Transmit communications for live or delayed rebroadcast on a radio or television broadcast station.

(10)

LENGTH OF COMMUNICATIONS. No person may operate a CB station which communicates with another CB station for more than 5 continuous minutes. No person may, at the end of a conversation, transmit again for at least one minute.

(11)

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS. Every CB station operator shall, at all times and on all channels, give priority to emergency communications.

(12)

REMOTE CONTROL PROHIBITED. No person may operate a CB station transmitter by radio remote control. In this section, "remote control" means the operation of a CB transmitter from any place other than the premises on which the CB transmitter is located.

(13)

CONNECTION TO TELEPHONE PROHIBITED. No person shall connect the CB station transmitter to a telephone, except as permitted by 47 CFR §95.420.

(14)

CAUSING INTERFERENCE PROHIBITED. No person shall operate a CB station which causes radio frequency interference with the operation of any electronic device located in the City of Beloit and off the premises of the CB station. If a City of Beloit police officer determines that a CB station is causing interference with the electronic equipment kept on premises adjacent to the CB station, the police officer may do any of the following:

(a)

Order the operator of the CB station and/or the occupant of the premises on which the CB station is located to cease operation of the CB station during specified hours or times.

(b)

Have the CB station equipment inspected by a person certified as technically qualified to perform transmitter maintenance and repair duties in the private land mobile services and fixed services by an organization or committee representative of users in those services.

(15)

INSPECTIONS OF CB STATION EQUIPMENT AND CB STATION RECORDS. A police officer may inspect CB radio station equipment and CB station records whenever the officer has probable cause to believe that a CB station operator, or person in possession of CB radio equipment, has interfered with the operation of electronic equipment of another by means of radio frequency interference. In the event that the operator or person in possession of CB radio equipment refuses to permit inspection of the CB radio equipment or CB station records, the officer may apply to the municipal court for an inspection warrant pursuant to §§66.122 and 66.123, Wis. Stats.

(16)

PENALTIES. Any person who violates any of the provisions of this section shall be subject, upon conviction, to a forfeiture of not less than $500 nor more than $10,000 for each violation.

Got to wonder how many $10K fines Beloit has collected since that one got incorporated.