[HISTORY: Adopted and amended as indicated in text. Former
Ch. 45, Fences (1959 Code, sec. 116; 1965 Code, sec. 114; 1969 Code,
sec. 120. P.L.L., 1860, Art. 9, sec. 41; 1888, sec. 62; 1930, sec.
106 was repealed by the Acts of 1991, Ch. 248.]
[1997, ch. 734]
A.
The County Commissioners may establish by ordinance a prohibition
against any person making repeated false alarms or engaging in any
other pattern of unnecessary or abusive use of emergency and public
safety services in the County.
B.
An ordinance enacted by the County Commissioners under this section
shall:
(1)
Provide for the licensing of alarm systems contractors;
(2)
Establish a license fee;
(3)
Subject to Subsection C of this section, allow County to revoke or suspend a license of an alarm systems contractor for grounds specified in the ordinance;
(4)
Establish a schedule of fines that may be imposed for each offense
or series of offenses established by the County Commissioners under
this section;
(5)
Designate the appropriate County agency to enforce and administer
the requirements of the ordinance and the assessment and collection
of fines;
(6)
Authorize the designated County enforcement agency to maintain records
of alarm systems contractors, monitor service entities, and manufacturers
of security systems;
(7)
Authorize the designated County enforcement agency, if it finds a
pattern of false alarms attributed to a particular manufacturer's
model or to installation by a particular alarm systems contractor,
to inform:
(8)
Provide procedures for public notice of the requirements of an ordinance
enacted under this section;
(9)
Provide an opportunity for a public hearing for an offender to respond
to allegations relating to the violation of the ordinance; and
(10)
Require that any funds obtained through the imposition and collection
of fines under this section shall be dedicated to the response and
communications system of Charles County.