[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of
the Town of Coventry 4-25-2005 by Ord. No. 03-05-0243. Amendments noted
where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Noise — See Ch. 169.
A.
The primary purpose of this chapter is to reduce and/or
eliminate the incidents of false burglar alarms in the Town. While
alarm systems provide a vital service to residents and businesses,
false alarms pose a safety hazard. They divert municipal services
from useful duties, creating a waste of manpower and services.
B.
The further purpose of this chapter is to encourage
alarm users and alarm businesses (sales, installations, customer service
and/or monitoring) to properly maintain and operate alarm systems
by limiting unnecessary responses to false alarms.
C.
This chapter promotes the health, safety and welfare
of both the residents and visitors of the Town by decreasing the number
of false alarms, thus increasing the time available for police personnel
to respond to justified police calls.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
An activation of a fire, burglar, holdup or security system
or combination of burglar/fire system that is caused by some accidental,
malicious or intentional act on the part of the system owner, employee,
workman or person other than an intruder, some internal fault of the
system or in its communication device or by carelessness or mistakes.
No more than three false alarms from any one
protected property per calendar year shall be permitted.
A.
Written order and fines.
(1)
After the second false alarm in any calendar year,
the Police Chief shall send a written order to the subscriber instructing
the subscriber to:
(2)
Within five days after this order is sent, the subscriber
shall forward to the Police Chief proof that the alarm system has
been inspected and is in good working order.
B.
A subscriber shall be fined $75 for the fourth false
burglar alarm, and each false alarm thereafter, in any one calendar
year.
The provisions of this article shall not apply
to any new installation or modification of alarm systems for the first
30 days following completion of the installation or system modification.
Users installing a new system or making substantial modifications
to an existing system shall be entitled to a grace period during which
false alarms generated by such system shall be deemed non-false alarms.
The grace period shall cease 30 days after installation or modification
of an alarm system.
The Police Chief shall compile a continuous
record of all false alarms and of all written notices and orders given
to subscribers and alarm businesses. Such record shall indicate the
number and frequency of false alarms and shall separately state the
number of false alarms received from residences and from businesses.
Said record shall not contain the names of persons or entities from
whom false alarms are received or to whom notices and/or orders are
issued.
The Town shall not be liable for any defects
in operation of any signal line system; for any failure or neglect
to respond appropriately upon receipt of an alarm from such a source;
or for any failure or neglect of any person in connection with the
installation, operation, disconnection or removal of equipment, the
transmission of alarm signals or the relaying of such signals or messages.
