[Adopted 5-26-1992 by Ord. No. 3148]
All persons residing in the City are entitled to the equal protection of their lives and property. The law protects all, not only against actual physical violence but also against threats and intimidations from any person or group of persons. The City Council cannot permit persons, known or unknown, to issue either actual or implied threats against other persons in the City. Persons in this City are and shall continue to be answerable only to the established law as enforced by legally appointed officers.
As used in this article, all terms shall have the meanings commonly assigned to them, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context. The following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
PUBLIC PLACES
All walks, alleys, streets, boulevards, avenues, lanes, roads, highways or other ways or thoroughfares dedicated to public use or owned or maintained by public authority and all grounds and buildings owned, leased or operated for the use of organizations enjoying all tax-exempt privileges as charitable use.
Wearing hoods, masks or any other such device which conceals the identity by hiding the face in a public place is hereby prohibited. No person while wearing any hood, mask or device which conceals the identity by hiding the face or whereby a substantial portion of the face is hidden or covered so as to conceal the identity of the wearer shall enter, be or appear in any public place within the City.
Wearing hoods, masks or any other such device which conceals the identity by hiding the face on the property of another is hereby prohibited. No person while wearing any hood, mask or device which conceals the identity by hiding the face or whereby a substantial portion of the face is hidden or covered so as to conceal the identity of the wearer shall demand entrance or admission, enter or come upon or into or be upon or in the premises, enclosure or house of any other person in the City unless he first has obtained the written permission of the owner or occupant of such property.
Exemptions to this article are as follows:
A. 
A person wearing a traditional holiday costume on the occasion of the holiday.
B. 
A person lawfully engaged in trade or employment or in a sporting activity where a mask is worn for the purpose of ensuring the physical safety of the wearer or because of the nature of the occupation, trade or profession or sporting activity.
C. 
A person using a mask in a theatrical production, including use in Mardi Gras celebrations and masquerade balls.
D. 
A person wearing a gas mask prescribed in emergency management drills and exercises or emergencies.
E. 
A person under 16 years of age.
F. 
Any person wearing a mask or wearing apparel in season as personal protection against cold weather.
G. 
Any person wearing a mask because of any illness or allergy or on the advice of his or her physician.
The above provisions apply only if the person was wearing the hood, mask or other device:
A. 
With the intent to deprive any person or class of persons of the equal protection of the laws or of equal privileges and immunities under the laws or for the purpose of preventing or hindering the constituted authorities of the United States or this commonwealth or any subdivision thereof from giving or securing to all persons within this commonwealth the equal protection of the laws;
B. 
With the intent, by force or threat of force, to injure, intimidate or interfere with any person because of his exercise of any right secured by federal, state or local laws or to intimidate such person or any other person or any class of person from exercising any right secured by federal, state or local law;
C. 
With the intent to intimidate, threaten, abuse or harass any other person;
D. 
With the intent to cause another person to fear for his or her personal safety or, where it is probable that reasonable persons will be put in fear for their personal safety by the defendant's actions, with reckless disregard for such probability; or
E. 
While engaged in conduct prohibited by civil or criminal law, with the intent of avoiding identification.
No portion of this article shall be so construed as to violate the constitutional rights of any person under the Constitutions of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the United States of America.
Whoever violates any provision of this article shall be guilty of a summary offense and shall be fined not more than $300 and/or imprisoned for not more than 90 days.