A. 
Policy and purpose. The Common Council declares it to be the policy and purpose of this enactment to promote and preserve the public peace, order, safety, comfort and welfare of the citizens of the City by the regulation of the conduct of individuals to loiter, prowl, assemble or congregate on private or public property without the consent of the owner or person in possession of such property.
B. 
Loitering or prowling prohibited generally. No person shall loiter or prowl in a place, at a time or in a manner not usual for law-abiding individuals under circumstances that warrant alarm for the safety of persons or property in the vicinity. Among the circumstances which may be considered in determining whether such alarm is warranted is the fact that the person takes flight upon appearance of a police or peace officer, refuses to identify himself or manifestly endeavors to conceal himself or any object. Unless flight by the person or other circumstances make it impracticable, a police or peace officer shall, prior to any arrest for an offense under this subsection, afford the person an opportunity to dispel any alarm which would otherwise be warranted by requesting him to identify himself and explain his presence or conduct. No person shall be convicted of an offense under this subsection if the police or peace officer did not comply with the preceding sentence or if it appears at trial that the explanation given by the person was true and, if believed by the police or peace officer at the time, would have dispelled the alarm.
C. 
Obstruction of traffic by loitering. No person shall loiter upon the public streets, alleys, sidewalks, street crossings or bridges or in any other public place within the City in such manner as to prevent or obstruct the ordinary free use of such public streets, alleys, sidewalks, street crossings or bridges or other public places by persons passing along and over the same.
[Amended by Ord. No. 92-59]
D. 
Obstruction of entryways by loitering. No person shall loiter upon the public streets, private driveways or sidewalks or in adjacent doorways or entrances so as to obstruct the free entry of persons to the adjacent property, driveways or other entrances to such property.
[Amended by Ord. No. 92-59]
E. 
Loitering in vicinity of school premises.
[Added by Ord. No. 89-15; amended by Ord. No. 94-14]
(1) 
Definitions. As used in this subsection, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
PROPERTY ADJACENT TO SCHOOL OR SCHOOL PREMISES
Any public or private property which is within 500 feet of any school or school premises.
SCHOOL
A public, parochial or private school which provides an educational program for one or more grades between the grades K and 12 and which is commonly known as an elementary school, middle school, junior high school, senior high school or high school.
SCHOOL PREMISES
Any school building, grounds, recreation area or athletic field and any other property owned or operated by the school for school activities.
(2) 
No person shall enter upon or loiter in a school building, on school premises, or on public or private property located adjacent thereto, not having any reason or relationship involving custody of, or responsibility for, a pupil or any other specific, legitimate reason for being in such a place at such a time, after having been suspended or expelled from a school or asked to leave a school, school premises, private property or public property by a school administrator, teacher or his or her representative, by a private property owner, tenant or agent, or by a police officer. A student enrolled within the Watertown Unified School District shall be in violation of this subsection if he or she is on any school premises while suspended or expelled from school. A non-student shall be in violation of this subsection if he or she refuses to leave the area after being so notified by the persons indicated above.
[Amended by Ord. No. 95-24; Ord. No. 97-68]
F. 
Loitering on roadways in Central Business District.
[Added by Ord. No. 92-59]
(1) 
Purpose. It is hereby found and determined by the Common Council that loitering on the roadway on and around vehicles parked on the roadway on Main Street, between the intersections of Church Street and College Avenue, creates hazardous traffic conditions between vehicles and pedestrians, which may result in death or personal injury, hinders and obstructs safe traffic movement, and may result in property damage to parked vehicles; and that there is a need to prohibit such loitering during specific hours to promote safe traffic movement on Main Street and otherwise protect and preserve the public health, safety and welfare.
(2) 
Prohibition. It is unlawful for any person to congregate around, loiter by, stand beside or sit on or lean upon a motor vehicle, or to sit, stand or lie upon any portion of a motor vehicle not designed or intended for the use of passengers or within truck bodies in spaces intended for merchandise, while parked on the roadway on Main Street between the intersections of Church Street and College Avenue between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.
[Amended by Ord. No. 93-31]
(3) 
Exceptions. It shall not be an offense under this Subsection F:
(a) 
If said person is on the sidewalk;
(b) 
If said person is on the sidewalk and leaning upon a motor vehicle with permission of the operator or owner of such motor vehicle; or
(c) 
If said person is entering, exiting or loading any such motor vehicle while it is legally parked on the roadway.
G. 
Loitering on Main Street Bridge. No person shall loiter, congregate, stand on or sit on the Main Street Bridge over the Rock River in the City other than to walk across the bridge on the sidewalk or in the crosswalk.
[Added by Ord. No. 92-59]
[Amended by Ord. No. 92-56; Ord. No. 02-08; Ord. No. 07-34]
A. 
Curfew hours imposed. No person under 17 years of age shall be upon the public streets, public parking lots, highways, roads, alleys, parks, public buildings, places of amusement and entertainment, vacant lots, or any public places in the City, either on foot or in or upon any conveyance being driven or parked thereon, between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11:59 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
B. 
Work travel. This section shall not apply to any person under 17 years of age who is required to use the streets, alleys or public places of the City during the imposed curfew hours for the purpose of going to or returning from his/her place of employment, but no more than reasonable time shall be allowed for going to and returning from such employment.
C. 
Defenses. It is a defense to prosecution under this section that the minor was:
(1) 
Accompanied by the minor's parent or guardian.
(2) 
On an errand at the direction of the minor's parent or guardian, without any detour or stop.
(3) 
A nonresident en route through the City without stopping except to discharge a passenger or purchase gasoline or food.
(4) 
Engaged in an employment activity, or going to or returning home from an employment activity, without any detour or stop.
(5) 
Involved in an emergency.
(6) 
On the sidewalk abutting the minor's residence.
(7) 
Attending, or going to or returning from, an official school or religious event or a recreational activity supervised by adults and sponsored by the City of Watertown.
(8) 
Exercising First Amendment rights protected by the United States Constitution, such as the free exercise of religion, freedom of speech, and the right to assembly.
D. 
Enforcement. Before taking enforcement action under this section, a police officer shall ask the apparent offender's age and reason for being in the public place. The officer shall not issue a citation or make an arrest under this section unless the officer reasonably believes that an offense has occurred and that, based on any response or other circumstances, no defense in Subsection C(7) is present.
E. 
Violations and penalties. Any person under the age of 17 years cited for a violation of Subsection A, upon conviction, shall be advised by the court of the penalty for second and subsequent violations. Any such person found guilty of a second or subsequent violation shall be subject to the penalties provided in § 1-4 of this Code.
F. 
Adult custodian permitting violation of curfew. Any adult person having the legal custody of a person under the age of 17 years suffering or permitting a minor to violate Subsection A shall be subject to the penalties provided in § 1-4 of this Code.
A. 
No person, firm or corporation shall distribute commercial advertising material upon any public street, alley, sidewalk, park or other public place within the City or cause such material to be posted or otherwise displayed within such public places without the written authority of the Mayor or his designee.
B. 
No person, firm or corporation shall post any bill or commercial advertising material, except legal notices, service of process, or other similar notices posted according to law, on any private property within the City without the consent of the owner thereof.
C. 
No person, firm or corporation shall distribute handbills, circulars, pamphlets, cards, pictures or any advertising material of any kind whatsoever by placing the same in or upon any motor vehicle standing or parked in the public streets or public parking lots of the City.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 11.115 of the City Code, Annual Riverfest Celebration, which immediately followed this section, was moved to Ch. 428, Public Events, Art. IV, at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
No person shall use a telephone or cause a telephone to be used in the following manner:
A. 
With the intent to frighten, intimidate, threaten, abuse or harass, makes a telephone call and threatens to inflict injury or physical harm to any person or property of any person.
B. 
With intent to frighten, intimidate, threaten, abuse, harass or offend, telephones another and uses any obscene, lewd or profane language or suggests any lewd or lascivious act.
C. 
Makes or causes the telephone of another repeatedly to ring, with intent to harass any person at the called number.
D. 
Makes repeated telephone calls, whether or not conversation ensues, with intent solely to harass any person at the called number.
[Added by Ord. No. 87-6]
E. 
Makes telephone calls to the City's police, fire or emergency telephone numbers, including 911, when such person makes the call for no legitimate reason or purpose. This subsection shall apply regardless of whether the person who makes an emergency telephone call speaks to or in any way communicates with the person answering the call.
[Added by Ord. No. 94-24]
[Added by Ord. No. 91-91; amended by Ord. No. 98-40; Ord. No. 98-70]
A. 
Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ACCEPTABLE EXCUSE
As defined in §§ 118.15 and 118.16(4), Wis. Stats.
HABITUAL TRUANT
A pupil who is absent from school without an acceptable excuse under §§ 118.15 and 118.16(4), Wis. Stats., for part or all of five or more days on which school is held during a school semester.
TRUANT
A pupil who is absent from school without an acceptable excuse under §§ 118.15 and 118.16(4), Wis. Stats., for part or all of any day on which school is held during a school semester.
B. 
Prohibition of habitual truancy. No child shall be a habitual truant.
C. 
Prohibition of truancy. No child shall be truant.
D. 
Violations and penalties. The court shall enter dispositional orders, including one or more of the following:
(1) 
Habitual truancy.
(a) 
Suspension of the child's driving privileges for not less than 30 days nor more than one year. The Court may take possession of any suspended license. If the Court takes possession of a license, it shall destroy the license. The Court shall forward to the Department of Transportation a notice stating the reason for and the duration of the suspension.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
(b) 
An order for the child to remain at home except during hours in which the child is attending religious worship or a school program, including the travel time required to and from the school program or place of worship. The order may permit a child to leave his or her home if the child is accompanied by a parent or guardian.
(c) 
An order for the person to participate in counselling or a supervised work program or other community service work as described in § 938.34(5g), Wis. Stats. The costs of any such counselling, supervised work program, or other community service work may be assessed against the person, the parents or guardian of the person, or both. Any county department of human services or social services, community agency, public agency or nonprofit charitable organization administering a supervised work program or other community service work to which a person is assigned pursuant to an order under this subsection acting in good faith has immunity from any civil liability in excess of $25,000 for any act or omission by or impacting on that person.
(d) 
An order for the person to attend an educational program as described in § 938.34(7d), Wis. Stats.
(e) 
An order for the person to be placed in a teen court program as described in § 938.342(1g)(f), Wis. Stats.
(f) 
An order for the person to attend school.
(g) 
A forfeiture of not more than $500 plus costs, subject to § 938.37, Wis. Stats. All or part of the forfeiture, plus costs, may be assessed against the person, the parents or guardian of the person, or both.
(h) 
Any other reasonable conditions consistent with this subsection, including a curfew, restrictions as to going to or remaining on specified premises, and restrictions on associating with other children or adults.
(i) 
An order for the person's parent, guardian or legal custodian to participate in counselling at the parent's, guardian's or legal custodian's own expense, or to attend school with the person, or both.
(2) 
Truancy.
(a) 
An order for the person to attend school.
(b) 
A forfeiture of not more than $50 plus costs for a first violation, or a forfeiture of not more than $100 plus costs for any second or subsequent violation committed within 12 months of a previous violation, subject to § 938.37, Wis. Stats., and subject to a maximum cumulative forfeiture amount of not more than $500 for all violations committed during a school semester. All or part of the forfeiture, plus costs, may be assessed against the person, the parents or guardian of the person, or both.
[Added by Ord. No. 96-12; amended by Ord. No. 96-45; Ord. No. 98-41]
A. 
Definition. Truancy means any absence from school by a pupil without an acceptable excuse under §§ 118.15 and 118.16(4), Wis. Stats., for part or all of any days on which school is held during a school semester.
B. 
Contributing to truancy prohibited.
(1) 
Except as provided in Subsection B(2), no person shall, by any act or omission, knowingly encourage or contribute to the truancy of a child.
(2) 
Subsection B(1) does not apply to a person who has under his or her control a child who has been sanctioned under § 49.26(1)(h), Wis. Stats.
(3) 
An act or omission contributes to the truancy of a child, whether or not the child is adjudged to be in need of protection or services, if the natural and probable consequences of the act or omission would be to cause the child to be truant.
(4) 
A parent, legal custodian or guardian contributes to the truancy of a child if the parent, legal custodian or guardian fails to make a reasonable effort to assure that the child arrives at school in a timely manner.
[Added by Ord. No. 02-30]
[Added by Ord. No. 00-31; amended by Ord. No. 03-32; 3-31-2025 by Ord. No. 25-05]
A. 
Findings.
(1) 
The Common Council has authority under its general police powers set forth in § 62.11(5), Wis. Stats., to act for the good order of the municipality and for the health, safety and welfare of the public and may carry out its powers by regulation and suppression.
(2) 
The Common Council recognizes it lacks authority to regulate obscenity in light of § 66.0107(3), Wis. Stats., and does not intend by adopting this section to regulate obscenity, since nudity in and of itself is not obscene. It declares its intent to enact an ordinance addressing the secondary effects of live, totally nude, nonobscene, erotic dancing in bars and taverns.
(3) 
Exhibitions in public places featuring totally nude, nonobscene, erotic dancing or motion picture or video presentations thereof have in other communities tended to further the increase of criminal and other offensive activity, to be offensive to some members of the general public or to children, to disrupt the peace and order of the communities, to depreciate the value of real property, to harm the economic welfare of the communities and to negatively affect the quality of life of the communities, and such secondary effects are detrimental to the public health, safety and general welfare of citizens.
(4) 
The Common Council recognizes that the United States Supreme Court has held that nude dancing is expressive conduct within the outer perimeters of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and, therefore, entitled to some protection under the First Amendment, and the Common Council further recognizes that freedom of speech is among our most precious and highly protected rights and wishes to act consistently with full protection of those rights.
(5) 
However, the Common Council is aware, based on the experiences of other communities, that exhibitions in public places in which live, totally nude, nonobscene, erotic dancing or video or motion picture presentation thereof occurs may and do generate secondary effects which the Common Council believes are detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the City of Watertown.
(6) 
Among these secondary effects are: the potential increase in prostitution and other sex-related offenses, as well as other crimes and offenses; the potential depreciation of property values in neighborhoods where these exhibitions featuring nude dancing exist; health risks associated with the spread of sexually transmitted diseases; the probability that children would be exposed to these exhibitions in a public place; and the potential for infiltration by organized crime for the purpose of unlawful conduct.
(7) 
The Common Council desires to minimize, prevent and control these adverse effects and thereby protect the health, safety and general welfare of the citizens of the City of Watertown; protect the citizens from increased crime; preserve the quality of life; preserve the property values and character of surrounding neighborhoods; and deter the spread of urban blight.
(8) 
The Common Council has determined that enactment of an ordinance prohibiting live, totally nude, nonobscene, erotic dancing, or the video or motion picture presentation thereof, in public places promotes the goal of minimizing, preventing and controlling the negative secondary effects associated with such activity.
B. 
No person shall knowingly or intentionally, in a public place, do any of the following:
(1) 
Perform or engage in the display or exposure of any specified anatomical areas.
(2) 
Engage in any specified sexual activity.
(3) 
Simulate, perform or depict, with or without artificial devices or inanimate objects, any specified sexual activity with any other person.
C. 
No person shall knowingly produce or distribute by electronic means a Deepfake which:
(1) 
A reasonable person, having considered the audio and visual qualities of the record would believe exhibits any depiction or conduct of Specified Anatomical Areas or Specified Sexual Activities of a living or deceased person; and
(2) 
Was produced without the consent of such living person, or in the case of a deceased person, such person or the heirs thereof.
D. 
Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
(1) 
DEEPFAKE
Means any audio recording, video recording, film, electronic image, photograph, technological representation of an individual's appearance, speech, or conduct that has been intentionally manipulated in a manner to create a realistic but false image, audio or video which:
(a) 
A reasonable person would believe depicts the appearance, speech or conduct of an individual who did not in fact engage in such speech or conduct; and
(b) 
Was produced substantially dependent upon technical means, rather than the ability of another individual to physically or verbally impersonate such individual.
(2) 
PUBLIC PLACE
Includes any street, alley, sidewalk, thoroughfare or parking lot; any lobby, corridor, elevator, stairway, recreation room or common room in a hotel, motel, office building, apartment building or condominium; any public or municipal building or premises; any vacant lot, park or public recreation facility; any church, school, library, theater, auditorium or other building frequented by members of the public; and any business or industrial premises, including buildings and grounds, except that the term "public place" shall not include any building or part of a building occupied as a temporary or permanent dwelling, hotel or motel room, or private office.
(3) 
SPECIFIED ANATOMICAL AREAS
(a) 
Less than completely and opaquely covered human genitals, vulva, anus and cleavage of the buttocks.
(b) 
Human male genitals in a discernibly turgid state, even if completely and opaquely covered.
(c) 
Less than completely and opaquely covered areola and nipple of the female breast.
(4) 
SPECIFIED SEXUAL ACTIVITIES
Simulated or actual:
(a) 
Showing of human genitals in a state of sexual stimulation or arousal.
(b) 
Acts of masturbation, sexual intercourse, sodomy, bestiality, necrophilia, sadomasochistic abuse, fellatio, cunnilingus or excretory functions.
(c) 
Fondling or erotic touching of human genitals, pubic region, anus, buttocks or female breasts.
E. 
Exemptions. The provisions of this section do not apply to the following activities conducted in a public place or in the following specific public places:
(1) 
Theaters, performing arts centers, civic centers, exhibition halls, restaurants and dinner theaters where live dance, ballet, music and dramatic performances of serious artistic merit are offered to the general public, with or without paid admission, or movie theaters and video arcades where video or motion picture presentations of dance, ballet, music and dramatic performances of serious artistic merit are offered to the general public, with or without paid admission. In order to fall within the application of this exemption, the predominant business or attraction in the licensed establishment may not consist of the offering to customers of entertainment which is intended to provide sexual stimulation or sexual gratification to such customers and where the establishment is distinguished by an emphasis on, or the advertising or promotion of, employees or independent contractors associated with the licensed establishment engaging in nude erotic dancing.
(2) 
Lavatories, restrooms and bathrooms on the licensed premises where there is unintentional exposure of genitals by individuals performing excretory functions.
(3) 
The private areas or guest rooms not accessible to the general public of those hotels, motels, rooming houses, or bed-and-breakfast businesses in the City.
(4) 
The rental or sale of videocassettes, DVD videodiscs, or other electronic media for private viewing by individuals not in a public place.
(5) 
Exposure of any portion of the female breast while a person is engaged in breast-feeding a child.