Sec. 19-81. Same—How dealt with.[346]
It shall be the duty of the police, the city sergeant and
other city officials to give information, under oath, to any
officer empowered by law to issue criminal warrants, of all
vagrants within their knowledge, or persons whom they have
good reason to suspect of being vagrants in the city. Thereupon,
or upon the complaint of any person upon oath, the
officer shall issue a warrant for the arrest of the person alleged
to be a vagrant, and he shall be brought before the
municipal judge and, upon conviction, shall be punished as
provided by section 1-5, but the municipal judge or the court
before which the case may be tried may permit such persons
so convicted to give bond with sufficient security, in an amount
not exceeding five hundred dollars nor less than one hundred
dollars, conditioned upon his future industry and good conduct
for one year. Upon giving such bond such person shall
be set at liberty without undergoing the punishment imposed
by his conviction. It shall be sufficient defense to the charge
of vagrancy under this section and section 19-80 that the defendant
has made reasonable, bona fide efforts to obtain employment
at reasonable prices for his labor and has failed to
obtain the same. (Code 1959, § 19-81.)
