As used in this Article, the following terms mean:
ENTER UNLAWFULLY or REMAIN UNLAWFULLY
A person enters or remains in or upon premises when he or she is not licensed or privileged to do so. A person who, regardless of his or her purpose, enters or remains in or upon premises which are at the time open to the public does so with license and privilege unless he or she defies a lawful order not to enter or remain, personally communicated to him or her by the owner of such premises or by other authorized person. A license or privilege to enter or remain in a building which is only partly open to the public is not a license or privilege to enter or remain in that part of the building which is not open to the public.
TO TAMPER
To interfere with something improperly, to meddle with it, displace it, make unwarranted alterations in its existing condition, or to deprive, temporarily, the owner or possessor of that thing.
UTILITY
An enterprise which provides gas, electric, steam, water, sewage disposal, or communication, video, internet, or voice over internet protocol services, and any common carrier. It may be either publicly or privately owned or operated.
A. 
A person commits the offense of tampering if he/she:
1. 
Tampers with property of another for the purpose of causing substantial inconvenience to that person or to another; or
2. 
Unlawfully rides in or upon another's automobile, airplane, motorcycle, motorboat or other motor-propelled vehicle; or
3. 
Tampers or makes connection with property of a utility; or
4. 
Tampers with, or causes to be tampered with, any meter or other property of an electric, gas, steam or water utility, the effect of which tampering is either:
a. 
To prevent the proper measuring of electric, gas, steam or water service; or
b. 
To permit the diversion of any electric, gas, steam or water service.
B. 
In any prosecution under Subsection (A)(4), proof that a meter or any other property of a utility has been tampered with, and the person or persons accused received the use or direct benefit of the electric, gas, steam or water service with one (1) or more of the effects described in Subsection (A)(4), shall be sufficient to support an inference which the trial court may submit to the trier of fact from which the trier of fact may conclude that there has been a violation of such Subsection by the person or persons who use or receive the direct benefit of the electric, gas, steam or water service.
[1]
Note: Under certain circumstances this offense can be a felony under state law.
A. 
A person commits the offense of property damage if he/she:
1. 
Knowingly damages property of another; or
2. 
Damages property for the purpose of defrauding an insurer.
[1]
Note: Under certain circumstances this offense can be a felony under state law.
A. 
A person does not commit an offense by damaging, tampering with, operating, riding in or upon or making connection with property of another if he/she does so under a claim of right and has reasonable grounds to believe he/she has such a right.
B. 
The defendant shall have the burden of injecting the issue of claim of right.
C. 
No person who, as a tenant, willfully or wantonly destroys, defaces, damages, impairs or removes any part of a leased structure or dwelling unit, or the facilities, equipment or appurtenances thereof, may inject the issue of claim of right.
A. 
A person commits the offense of trespass in the first degree if he/she knowingly enters unlawfully or knowingly remains unlawfully in a building or inhabitable structure or upon real property.
B. 
A person does not commit the offense of trespass by entering or remaining upon real property unless the real property is fenced or otherwise enclosed in a manner designed to exclude intruders or as to which notice against trespass is given by:
1. 
Actual communication to the actor; or
2. 
Posting in a manner reasonably likely to come to the attention of intruders.
A. 
A person commits trespass in the second degree if he/she enters unlawfully upon real property of another. This is an offense of absolute liability.
B. 
Trespass in the second degree is an infraction.
A. 
A person commits the offense of trespass of a school bus if he or she knowingly and unlawfully enters any part of or unlawfully operates any school bus.
B. 
For the purposes of this Section, the terms "unlawfully enters" and "unlawfully operates" refer to any entry or operation of a school bus which is not:
1. 
Approved of and established in a school district's written policy on access to school buses; or
2. 
Authorized by specific written approval of the school board.
C. 
In order to preserve the public order, any district which adopts the policies described in Subsection (B) of this Section shall establish and enforce a student behavior policy for students on school buses.
A person commits the offense of reckless burning or exploding if he/she recklessly starts a fire or causes an explosion and thereby damages or destroys the property of another.
A. 
A person commits the offense of negligent burning or exploding if he/she with criminal negligence causes damage to property or to the woodlands, cropland, grassland, prairie, or marsh of another by:
1. 
Starting a fire or causing an explosion; or
2. 
Allowing a fire burning on lands in his or her possession or control onto the property of another.
A. 
A person commits the offense of stealing if he or she:
1. 
Appropriates property or services of another with the purpose to deprive him or her thereof, either without his or her consent or by means of deceit or coercion;
2. 
Attempts to appropriate anhydrous ammonia or liquid nitrogen of another with the purpose to deprive him or her thereof, either without his or her consent or by means of deceit or coercion; or
3. 
For the purpose of depriving the owner of a lawful interest therein, receives, retains or disposes of property of another knowing that it has been stolen, or believing that it has been stolen.
[1]
Note: Under certain circumstances this offense can be a felony under state law.
A. 
No person shall drive a motor vehicle so as to cause it to leave the premises of an establishment at which motor fuel offered for retail sale was dispensed into the fuel tank of such motor vehicle unless payment or authorized charge for motor fuel dispensed has been made.
B. 
A person found guilty or pleading guilty to stealing pursuant to Section 215.1110 for the theft of motor fuel as described in Subsection (A) shall have his/her driver's license suspended by the court beginning on the date of the court's order of conviction. The person shall submit all of his/her operator's and chauffeur's licenses to the court upon conviction and the court shall forward all such driver's licenses and the order of suspension of driving privileges to the Department of Revenue for administration of such order.
[1]
Editor's Note: This Section previously pertained to receiving stolen property. However, the authorizing statute, former RSMo. §570.080, was repealed without replacement by SB 491 in the 2014 Legislative Session, effective 1-1-2017.
A. 
A person commits the offense of financial exploitation of an elderly person or a person with a disability if such person knowingly obtains control over the property of the elderly person or person with a disability with the intent to permanently deprive the person of the use, benefit or possession of his or her property thereby benefitting the offender or detrimentally affecting the elderly person or person with a disability by:
1. 
Deceit;
2. 
Coercion;
3. 
Creating or confirming another person's impression which is false and which the offender does not believe to be true;
4. 
Failing to correct a false impression which the offender previously has created or confirmed;
5. 
Preventing another person from acquiring information pertinent to the disposition of the property involved;
6. 
Selling or otherwise transferring or encumbering property, failing to disclose a lien, adverse claim or other legal impediment to the enjoyment of the property, whether such impediment is or is not valid, or is or is not a matter of official record;
7. 
Promising performance which the offender does not intend to perform or knows will not be performed. Failure to perform standing alone is not sufficient evidence to prove that the offender did not intend to perform; or
8. 
Undue influence, which means the use of influence by someone who exercises authority over an elderly person or person with a disability in order to take unfair advantage of that person's vulnerable state of mind, neediness, pain, or agony. "Undue influence" includes, but is not limited to, the improper or fraudulent use of a power of attorney, guardianship, conservatorship, or other fiduciary authority.
B. 
Nothing in this Section shall be construed to limit the remedies available to the victim pursuant to any State law relating to domestic violence.
C. 
Nothing in this Section shall be construed to impose criminal liability on a person who has made a good-faith effort to assist the elderly person or person with a disability in the management of his or her property, but through no fault of his or her own has been unable to provide such assistance.
D. 
Nothing in this Section shall limit the ability to engage in bona fide estate planning, to transfer property and to otherwise seek to reduce estate and inheritance taxes; provided that such actions do not adversely impact the standard of living to which the elderly person or person with a disability has become accustomed at the time of such actions.
E. 
It shall not be a defense to financial exploitation of an elderly person or person with a disability that the accused reasonably believed that the victim was not an elderly person or person with a disability.
F. 
Medicaid Funds. It shall be unlawful in violation of this Section for any person receiving or in the possession of funds of a Medicaid-eligible elderly person or person with a disability residing in a facility licensed under Chapter 198, RSMo., to fail to remit to the facility in which the Medicaid-eligible person resides all money owing the facility resident from any source, including, but not limited to, social security, railroad retirement, or payments from any other source disclosed as resident income contained in the records of the Department of Social Services, Family Support Division, or its successor. The Department of Social Services, Family Support Division, or its successor is authorized to release information from its records containing the resident's income or assets to any prosecuting or circuit attorney in the State of Missouri for purposes of investigating or prosecuting any suspected violation of this Section.
G. 
The offense of financial exploitation of an elderly person or person with a disability is an ordinance violation.
[1]
Note: Under certain circumstances this offense can be a felony under state law.
A. 
A person commits the offense of fraudulent use of a credit device or debit device if he or she uses a credit device or debit device for the purpose of obtaining services or property, knowing that:
1. 
The device is stolen, fictitious or forged; or
2. 
The device has been revoked or canceled; or
3. 
For any other reason his or her use of the device is unauthorized; or
B. 
A person commits the offense of fraudulent use of a credit device or debit device if he or she uses a credit device or debit device for the purpose of paying property taxes and knowingly cancels such charges or payment without just cause. It shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this Section if a person cancels such charges or payment after obtaining a property tax receipt to obtain license tags from the Missouri Department of Revenue.
[1]
Note: Under certain circumstances this offense can be a felony under state law.
A. 
A person commits the offense of deceptive business practice if in the course of engaging in a business, occupation or profession, he or she recklessly:
1. 
Uses or possesses for use a false weight or measure, or any other device for falsely determining or recording any quality or quantity;
2. 
Sells, offers, displays for sale, or delivers less than the represented quantity of any commodity or service;
3. 
Takes or attempts to take more than the represented quantity of any commodity or service when as buyer he or she furnishes the weight or measure;
4. 
Sells, offers, or exposes for sale adulterated or mislabeled commodities;
5. 
Makes a false or misleading written statement for the purpose of obtaining property or credit;
6. 
Promotes the sale of property or services by a false or misleading statement in any advertisement; or
7. 
Advertises in any manner the sale of property or services with the purpose not to sell or provide the property or services:
a. 
At the price which he or she offered them;
b. 
In a quantity sufficient to meet the reasonably expected public demand, unless the quantity is specifically stated in the advertisement; or
c. 
At all.
A. 
A person commits the offense of alteration or removal of item numbers if he/she with the purpose of depriving the owner of a lawful interest therein:
1. 
Destroys, removes, covers, conceals, alters, defaces or causes to be destroyed, removed, covered, concealed, altered or defaced the manufacturer's original serial number or other distinguishing owner-applied number or mark on any item which bears a serial number attached by the manufacturer or distinguishing number or mark applied by the owner of the item for any reason whatsoever;
2. 
Sells, offers for sale, pawns or uses as security for a loan any item on which the manufacturer's original serial number or other distinguishing owner-applied number or mark has been destroyed, removed, covered, concealed, altered or defaced; or
3. 
Buys, receives as security for a loan or in pawn, or in any manner receives or has in his/her possession any item on which the manufacturer's original serial number or other distinguishing owner-applied number or mark has been destroyed, removed, covered, concealed, altered or defaced.
[1]
Note: Under certain circumstances this offense can be a felony under state law.
A. 
A person commits the offense of stealing leased or rented property if, with the intent to deprive the owner thereof, such person:
1. 
Purposefully fails to return leased or rented personal property to the place and within the time specified in an agreement in writing providing for the leasing or renting of such personal property;
2. 
Conceals or aids or abets the concealment of the property from the owner;
3. 
Sells, encumbers, conveys, pawns, loans, abandons or gives away the leased or rented property or any part thereof, without the written consent of the lessor, or without informing the person to whom the property is transferred to, that the property is subject to a lease;
4. 
Returns the property to the lessor at the end of the lease term, plus any agreed upon extensions, but does not pay the lease charges agreed upon in the written instrument, with the intent to wrongfully deprive the lessor of the agreed upon charges.
B. 
The provisions of this Section shall apply to all forms of leasing and rental agreements including, but not limited to, contracts which provide the consumer options to buy the leased or rented personal property, lease-purchase agreements and rent-to-own contracts. For the purpose of determining if a violation of this Section has occurred, leasing contracts which provide options to buy the merchandise are owned by the owner of the property until such time as the owner endorses the sale and transfer of ownership of the leased property to the lessee.
C. 
Evidence that a lessee used a false, fictitious, or not current name, address, or place of employment in obtaining the property or that a lessee fails or refuses to return the property or pay the lease charges to the lessor within seven (7) days after written demand for the return has been sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the address the person set forth in the lease agreement, or in the absence of the address, to the person's last known place of residence, shall be evidence of intent to violate the provisions of this Section, except that if a motor vehicle has not been returned within seventy-two (72) hours after the expiration of the lease or rental agreement, such failure to return the motor vehicle shall be prima facie evidence of the intent of the offense of stealing leased or rented property. Where the leased or rented property is a motor vehicle, if the motor vehicle has not been returned within seventy-two (72) hours after the expiration of the lease or rental agreement, the lessor may notify the local law enforcement agency of the failure of the lessee to return such motor vehicle, and the local law enforcement agency shall cause such motor vehicle to be put into any appropriate State and local computer system listing stolen motor vehicles. Any Law Enforcement Officer which stops such a motor vehicle may seize the motor vehicle and notify the lessor that he/she may recover such motor vehicle after it is photographed and its vehicle identification number is recorded for evidentiary purposes. Where the leased or rented property is not a motor vehicle, if such property has not been returned within the seven-day period prescribed in this Subsection, the owner of the property shall report the failure to return the property to the local law enforcement agency, and such law enforcement agency may within five (5) days notify the person who leased or rented the property that such person is in violation of this Section, and that failure to immediately return the property may subject such person to arrest for the violation.
D. 
This Section shall not apply if such personal property is a vehicle and such return is made more difficult or expensive by a defect in such vehicle which renders such vehicle inoperable if the lessee shall notify the lessor of the location of such vehicle and such defect before the expiration of the lease or rental agreement or within ten (10) days after proper notice.
E. 
Any person who has leased or rented personal property of another who destroys such property so as to avoid returning it to the owner commits the offense of property damage pursuant to Section 569.100, RSMo., or Section 215.1040 of this Code in addition to being in violation of this Section.
F. 
Venue shall lie in the County where the personal property was originally rented or leased.
[1]
Note: Under certain circumstances this offense can be a felony under state law.
A. 
A person commits the offense of passing a bad check when he/she:
1. 
With the purpose to defraud, makes, issues or passes a check or other similar sight order or any other form of presentment involving the transmission of account information for the payment of money knowing that it will not be paid by the drawee or that there is no such drawee; or
2. 
Makes, issues or passes a check or other similar sight order or any other form of presentment involving the transmission of account information for the payment of money, knowing that there are insufficient funds in or on deposit with that account for the payment of such check, sight order or other form of presentment involving the transmission of account information in full and all other checks, sight orders or other forms of presentment involving the transmission of account information upon such funds then outstanding, or that there is no such account or no drawee and fails to pay the check or sight order or other form of presentment involving the transmission of account information within ten (10) days after receiving actual notice in writing that it has not been paid because of insufficient funds or credit with the drawee or because there is no such drawee.
B. 
As used in Subsection (A)(2) of this Section, "actual notice in writing" means notice of the non-payment which is actually received by the defendant. Such notice may include the service of summons or warrant upon the defendant for the initiation of the prosecution of the check or checks which are the subject matter of the prosecution if the summons or warrant contains information of the ten-day period during which the instrument may be paid and that payment of the instrument within such ten-day period will result in dismissal of the charges. The requirement of notice shall also be satisfied for written communications which are tendered to the defendant and which the defendant refuses to accept.
[1]
Note: Under certain circumstances this offense can be a felony under state law.
A. 
Definitions. As used in this Section, the following definitions shall apply:
MERCANTILE ESTABLISHMENT
Any mercantile place of business in, at or from which goods, wares and merchandise are sold, offered for sale or delivered from and sold at retail or wholesale.
MERCHANDISE
All goods, wares and merchandise offered for sale or displayed by a merchant.
MERCHANT
Any corporation, partnership, association or person who is engaged in the business of selling goods, wares and merchandise in a mercantile establishment.
WRONGFUL TAKING
Includes stealing of merchandise or money and any other wrongful appropriation of merchandise or money.
B. 
Any merchant, his/her agent or employee, who has reasonable grounds or probable cause to believe that a person has committed or is committing a wrongful taking of merchandise or money from a mercantile establishment, may detain such person in a reasonable manner and for a reasonable length of time for the purpose of investigating whether there has been a wrongful taking of such merchandise or money. Any such reasonable detention shall not constitute an unlawful arrest or detention, nor shall it render the merchant, his/her agent or employee criminally or civilly liable to the person so detained.
C. 
Any person willfully concealing unpurchased merchandise of any mercantile establishment, either on the premises or outside the premises of such establishment, shall be presumed to have so concealed such merchandise with the intention of committing a wrongful taking of such merchandise within the meaning of Subsection (A), and the finding of such unpurchased merchandise concealed upon the person or among the belongings of such person shall be evidence of reasonable grounds and probable cause for the detention in a reasonable manner and for a reasonable length of time of such person by a merchant, his/her agent or employee in order that recovery of such merchandise may be effected, and any such reasonable detention shall not be deemed to be unlawful nor render such merchant, his/her agent or employee criminally or civilly liable.
A. 
Every purchaser or collector of, or dealer in, junk, scrap metal or any secondhand property shall keep a register containing a written or electronic record for each purchase or trade in which each type of metal subject to the provisions of this Section is obtained for value. There shall be a separate record for each transaction involving any:
1. 
Copper, brass or bronze;
2. 
Aluminum wire, cable, pipe, tubing, bar, ingot, rod, fitting or fastener;
3. 
Material containing copper or aluminum that is knowingly used for farming purposes as farming is defined in Section 350.010, RSMo.; whatever may be the condition or length of such metal; or
4. 
Catalytic converter.
B. 
The record required by this Section shall contain the following data:
1. 
A copy of the driver's license or photo identification issued by the State or by the United States Government or agency thereof to the person from whom the material is obtained;
2. 
The current address, gender, birth date, and a photograph of the person from whom the material is obtained if not included or are different from the identification required in Subsection (B)(1) of this Subsection;
3. 
The date, time and place of the transaction;
4. 
The license plate number of the vehicle used by the seller during the transaction;
5. 
A full description of the metal, including the weight and purchase price.
C. 
The records required under this Section shall be maintained for a minimum of twenty-four (24) months from when such material is obtained and shall be available for inspection by any Law Enforcement Officer.
D. 
Anyone convicted of violating this Section shall be guilty of an ordinance violation.
E. 
This Section shall not apply to any of the following transactions:
1. 
Any transaction for which the total amount paid for all regulated scrap metal purchased or sold does not exceed fifty dollars ($50.00), unless the scrap metal is a catalytic converter;
2. 
Any transaction for which the seller, including a farm or farmer, has an existing business relationship with the scrap metal dealer and is known to the scrap metal dealer making the purchase to be an established business or political subdivision that operates a business with a fixed location that can be reasonably expected to generate regulated scrap metal and can be reasonably identified as such a business; or
3. 
Any transaction for which the type of metal subject to Subsection (A) of this Section is a minor part of a larger item, except for equipment used in the generation and transmission of electrical power or telecommunications.
A. 
No scrap metal dealer shall knowingly purchase or possess a metal beer keg, whether damaged or undamaged, or any reasonably recognizable part thereof, on any premises that the dealer uses to buy, sell, store, shred, melt, cut or otherwise alter scrap metal except when the purchase is from the brewer or its authorized representative. For purposes of this Section, "keg" shall have the same meaning as in Section 311.082, RSMo.
B. 
Anyone who is found guilty of, or pleads guilty to, violating this Section shall be guilty of an ordinance violation punishable only by fine. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to preclude a person violating this Section from also being prosecuted for any applicable criminal offense.
A. 
No scrap yard shall purchase any metal that can be identified as belonging to a public or private cemetery, political subdivision, telecommunications provider, cable provider, wireless service or other communications-related provider, electrical cooperative, water utility, municipal utility or utility regulated under Chapters 386 or 393, RSMo., including bleachers, guardrails, signs, street and traffic lights or signals, and manhole cover or covers, whether broken or unbroken, from anyone other than the cemetery or monument owner, political subdivision, telecommunications provider, cable provider, wireless service or other communications-related provider, electrical cooperative, water utility, municipal utility, utility regulated under Chapter 386 or 393, RSMo., or manufacturer of the metal or item described in this Section unless such person is authorized in writing by the cemetery or monument owner, political subdivision, telecommunications provider, cable provider, wireless service or other communications-related provider, electrical cooperative, water utility, municipal utility, utility regulated under Chapter 386 or 393, RSMo., or manufacturer to sell the metal.
B. 
Anyone convicted of violating this Section shall be guilty of an ordinance violation.
A. 
Any scrap metal dealer paying out an amount that is five hundred dollars ($500.00) or more shall make such payment by issuing a prenumbered check drawn on a regular bank account in the name of the licensed scrap metal dealer and with such check made payable to the person documented as the seller in accordance with this Section, or by using a system for automated cash or electronic payment distribution which photographs or videotapes the payment recipient and identifies the payment with a distinct transaction in the register maintained in accordance with Chapter 407, RSMo.
B. 
Any scrap metal dealer that purchases scrap metal from a seller and pays in the form of cash is required to obtain a copy of the seller's driver's license or non-driver's license if the metal is copper or a catalytic converter. This Section shall not apply to any transaction for which the seller has an existing business relationship with the scrap metal dealer and is known to the scrap metal dealer making the purchase to be an established business or political subdivision that operates a business with a fixed location that can be reasonably expected to generate regulated scrap metal and can be reasonably identified as such a business.
C. 
Any person in violation of Sections 210.1210 to 210.1240 by selling stolen scrap metal shall be responsible for consequential damages related to obtaining the scrap metal.
[CC 1988 §75.070]
A. 
A person commits the offense of issuing a false instrument or certificate when being authorized by law to take proof or acknowledgement of any instrument which by law may be recorded, or being authorized by law to make or issue official certificates or other official written instruments, he/she issues such instrument or certificate or makes the same with the purpose that it be issued, knowing:
1. 
That it contains a false statement or false information;
2. 
That it is wholly or partly blank.
[CC 1988 §75.110]
A person commits the offense of false advertising if, in connection with the promotion of the sale of, or to increase the consumption of, property or services, he/she recklessly makes or causes to be made a false or misleading statement in any advertisement addressed to the public or to a substantial number of persons.
[CC 1988 §75.120]
A. 
A person commits the offense of bait advertising if he/she advertises in any manner the sale of property or services with the purpose not to sell or provide the property or services:
1. 
At the price which he/she offered them; or
2. 
In a quantity sufficient to meet the reasonably expected public demand, unless the quantity is specifically stated in the advertisement; or
3. 
At all.
[CC 1988 §75.305; Ord. No. 1006 §1, 1-16-1995]
A person commits the offense of vandalism if he/she willfully, maliciously, wantonly, negligently or otherwise tampers with, injures, defaces, destroys or removes real property or improvements thereto, or moveable or personal property, belonging to the City or to any other person in the City.
[CC 1988 §75.290]
It shall be an offense for any person to stick, post or place, keep or maintain upon any house, fence, wall, post or other structures within the City any advertisement, bill, sign, poster or device of any kind, and it shall be unlawful for any person to paint, paste, post, place or affix any advertisement, bill, placard, poster, sign or device of any kind upon any tree, pole, post, hydrant, bridge or any structure upon any public place in the City, provided however, that nothing herein shall apply to any notice required by public officers, or to sign under City permit, or to signs complying with the City's zoning and subdivision regulations.