[R.O. 2011 §230.010; Ord. No. 82-6 §2, 2-2-1982; Ord. No. 99-16 §1, 3-2-1999]
The purpose of this Article is to provide minimum standards for security and fire alarm systems, and to regulate alarm businesses, alarm agents, and alarm users as defined herein.
[R.O. 2011 §230.020; Ord. No. 82-6 §3, 2-2-1982; Ord. No. 99-16 §2, 3-2-1999]
For the purposes of this Article, the following words, phrases, and their derivations shall have the meanings given herein. When not inconsistent with the context, words used in the present tense include the future, words used in the plural number include the singular number and words used in the singular number include the plural number. The word "shall" is always mandatory.
ACT OF GOD
An extraordinary event by a natural cause in the usual course of events that experience, prescience, or care cannot reasonably foresee or prevent.
ALARM AGENT
Any person who alters, installs, moves, maintains, monitors, replaces, or services a security or fire alarm system, or who responds to a security or fire alarm system. The selling of fire or security alarm systems in conjunction with any of the foregoing activities shall be included in this definition. This definition includes owners, managers, corporate officers, partners, and any employee of all alarm businesses if they are engaged in the above listed activities or if they have access to confidential information of any alarm user or to alarm monitoring equipment.
ALARM BUSINESS
Any business which alters, installs, leases, maintains, repairs, replaces, or services fire or security alarm systems, or responds or causes others to respond to a fire or security alarm signal, or causes any of the foregoing activities to take place. A business which sells fire or security alarm systems is included in this definition when the sales are made in conjunction with the foregoing activities or when selling fire or security alarm systems is the principal business of the seller.
ALARM SIGNAL
A detectable signal, audibly, visually, or both, to which the Police Department is expected to respond on an emergency basis, generated by an alarm system indicating the occurrence of a fire or the commission or attempt to commit a burglary, robbery, or other crime.
[Ord. No. 1520 § 1, 3-7-2017]
ALARM SYSTEM
Any single device, or any assembly of equipment and/or devices designed to produce an alarm signal to which the Police Department is expected to respond in the course of their duties. In this Article, "Alarm System" or "Security Alarm System" shall include the terms "Audible Alarms", "Automatic Holdup Alarm System", "Burglar Alarm System" and "Holdup Alarm System" as those terms are defined herein. Audible alarms affixed to automobiles or other motor vehicles are not included within this definition.
[Ord. No. 1520 § 1, 3-7-2017]
ALARM USER
Any person who uses an alarm system to protect persons or property on premises of which the person is lawfully in possession.
AND/OR
The two (2) words, phrases or propositions between which it is inserted as a connector are to be taken conjunctively or disjunctively as three (3) alternatives. For example, "Condition A and/or Condition B" means both Condition A and Condition B taken together, or Condition A taken alone, or Condition B taken alone.
AUDIBLE ALARMS
Alarm systems that emit an audible alarm in which the signal transmission is initiated by a fire or the commission of a robbery.
AUTOMATIC HOLDUP ALARM SYSTEM
An alarm system in which the signal transmission is initiated by the commission of a robbery.
BURGLAR ALARM SYSTEM
An alarm system signaling an entry or attempted entry into the premises protected by the system.
FALSE ALARM
An alarm signal eliciting a response by the Police Department when a situation requiring an immediate response does not in fact exist, such as when no breach of security has been attempted or committed, including the giving, signaling or transmission to any public fire or Police station or company or to any officer or employee thereof, whether by telephone, spoken word or otherwise, information to the effect that there is a fire at or near the place indicated by the person giving, signaling or transmitting such information. [Ord. No. 1520 § 1, 3-7-2017]
An alarm will not be considered a false alarm if it is determined that the alarm was caused by:
1. 
Natural or manmade catastrophe, or an act of God. Such events include tornadoes, floods, earthquakes or other similarly violent conditions.
2. 
Vandalism causing physical damage to the premises.
3. 
Telephone line outage.
4. 
Attempted entry of a location causing visible, physical or other evidence of damage to the location.
5. 
Severe weather causing physical damage to the premises.
6. 
The test of a local alarm system by a licensed alarm business agent or employee who is present at the premises servicing, repairing or installing the alarm when such testing does not result in the alarm being activated for an uninterrupted period exceeding sixty (60) seconds, and when the Police Department has been notified of the test.
HOLDUP ALARM SYSTEM
An alarm system signaling a robbery or attempted robbery.
PERSON
Any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company or organization of any kind.
[R.O. 2011 §230.030; Ord. No. 82-6 §4, 2-2-1982]
A. 
Audible alarms shall not emit a sound similar to that of an emergency vehicle siren or a civil defense warning system.
B. 
Audible alarms must automatically discontinue emitting an audible sound within fifteen (15) minutes.
[R.O. 2011 §230.040; Ord. No. 82-6 §5, 2-2-1982]
A. 
All alarm businesses shall obtain an occupational license before doing business within the City limits of this City.
B. 
All alarm businesses applying for an occupational license shall submit a list of all persons and employees authorized to perform any alarm agent functions.
[R.O. 2011 §230.045; Ord. No. 99-16 §3, 3-2-1999]
A. 
Notification. An alarm user shall be notified in writing of each false alarm determination.
B. 
Review Of False Alarm Determinations. The Police Department shall, when requested by an alarm user, review the determination that an alarm was false. Such review may be done by the Police Department only if the alarm user requests such a review within fifteen (15) days of the date of the mailing or other delivery of the notice of false alarm determination. A request for a determination shall include at least the following information:
[Ord. No. 1520 § 1, 3-7-2017]
1. 
Alarm user name;
2. 
Address at which alarm is installed;
3. 
Date of alarm being contested; and
4. 
Facts upon which the request for a determination is made.
[R.O. 2011 §230.050; Ord. No. 82-6 §6, 2-2-1982]
A. 
It shall be unlawful:
1. 
To engage in an alarm business without first obtaining all necessary licenses, registrations and permits required by any City ordinance.
2. 
To sell, install, connect, maintain, or use any alarm system which is capable of reporting an alarm signal by means of a device or combination of devices which delivers a recorded message to the Police Department without notifying the Chief of Police in writing of the date of such installation within three (3) working days thereafter.
[Ord. No. 1520 § 1, 3-7-2017]
3. 
To report or cause any false alarms to be reported.
4. 
To make any false or misleading statement or any fraudulent misrepresentation in connection with any application, registration, license or permit required under this Article or in connection with the sale, installation, maintenance, inspection, or use of any security alarm system.
5. 
To use an audible alarm system which does not comply with the requirements of Section 230.030 of this Article.
6. 
For any alarm user to fail to respond to any alarm originating from the alarm user's premises by personally appearing on the premises within thirty (30) minutes after the user has been notified of the alarm by the Police Department.
[Ord. No. 1520 § 1, 3-7-2017]
7. 
Each day during which an offense continues shall be considered a separate offense.
[R.O. 2011 §230.060; Ord. No. 82-6 §7, 2-2-1982]
A. 
Unless otherwise specifically provided in this Section, every violation of Section 230.050 of this Article shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment for a period not to exceed six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
B. 
Violations of Section 230.050(3) shall be punished as follows:
1. 
The first six (6) offenses within a single calendar year shall be punished by a fine of ten dollars ($10.00).
2. 
The seventh (7th) and all subsequent offenses within a single calendar year shall require a court appearance and shall be punished by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) for each offense.
C. 
Violations of Section 230.050(5) shall be punished by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.00).
D. 
Violations of Sections 230.050(6) shall require a court appearance.
E. 
If any violation of Section 230.050 is found by the Court to be willful or intentional, the maximum penalty shall be imposed.
[R.O. 2011 §230.070; Ord. No. 82-6 §8, 2-2-1982]
Each alarm system shall be accorded one (1) grace period of ninety (90) days, during which false alarms shall not constitute an offense of Section 230.050(3). In the case of existing alarms systems the grace period shall begin on the effective date of this Article; for systems installed after the effective date of this Article the grace period shall begin on the date of installation.
[R.O. 2011 §230.080; CC 1971 §2.8]
A. 
The Mayor and the City Clerk are hereby authorized to enter into an agreement with the various owners in and outside of the City of Riverside, Missouri, in which the City shall monitor various alarm stations placed within the City Police Station.
B. 
The form of said application and agreement shall be on file in the City Clerk's office and marked Exhibit "A", and made a part of this Article as though fully set out herein.
C. 
The Mayor shall have full authority to determine the monthly charge for monitoring said alarm system.