[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town of Bedford 3-22-1995; amended in
its entirety 11-6-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-04. Subsequent amendments noted where
applicable.]
A.
The purpose of this chapter is to encourage alarm users and alarm
businesses to assume increased responsibility for maintaining the
mechanical reliability and the proper use of alarm systems, to prevent
unnecessary police response to false alarms and thereby to protect
the emergency response capability of the Town from misuse.
B.
This chapter governs burglary and robbery systems, requires permits,
establishes fees, provides for discontinuation of police response
to alarms and provides for punishment of violations.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
The business by any individual partnership, corporation,
or other entity of selling, leasing, maintaining, servicing, repairing,
altering, replacing, moving or installing any alarm system or causing
to be sold, leased, maintained, serviced, repaired, altered, replaced,
moved or installed any alarm system in or on any building, structure
or facility.
Any assembly of equipment, mechanical or electrical, arranged
to signal the occurrence of an illegal entry or other activity requiring
urgent attention and to which police personnel are expected to respond.
The person, firm, partnership, association, corporation,
company or organization of any kind which owns, controls or occupies
any building, structure or facility wherein an alarm system is maintained.
A device, which is interconnected to a telephone line and
is programmed to select a predetermined telephone number and transmit
by code signal an emergency message indicating a need for emergency
response. Such a device is an alarm system.
The Town facility used to receive emergency and general information
from the public to be dispatched to the respective Police and Fire
Departments.
An alarm system signaling an entry or attempted entry into
the area protected by the system.
An alarm business that interconnects an alarm system to its
own trunk lines and then calls the Bedford Emergency Dispatch using
a human being instead of an automatic dialing device.
An alarm signal, eliciting a response by police personnel
when a situation requiring a response does not in fact exist, but
does not include an alarm signal caused by violent conditions of nature
or other extraordinary circumstances not reasonably subject to control
by the alarm business operator or alarm user.
To connect an alarm system including an automatic dialing
device to a telephone line, either directly or through a mechanical
device that utilizes a telephone, for the purpose of using the telephone
line to transmit a message upon the activation of the alarm system.
The head of the Bedford Police Department or his/her designee.
A telephone line serving the Bedford Emergency Dispatch that
is designated to receive emergency calls.
An alarm system signaling a robbery or attempted robbery.
A feature of an alarm system which will cause an audible
alarm to stop emitting sound.
When the alarm system is capable to eliciting a response
by police personnel.
B.
The alarm owner or occupant of a building serviced by an alarm will
be notified of a false alarm either in person by responding police
personnel, written notice, or regular mail. If the fine has not been
received within 30 days of notice and there is no appeal pending on
the validity of the alarm, the police may initiate the no-response
or disconnect process and may also initiate the enforcement of penalties.
C.
The Police Chief has the right to waive any or all false alarm assessments
if he or she determines it to be in the best interest of the Town
of Bedford.
A.
The Police Chief may order no-response and/or disconnect after six
false alarms in a calendar year or failure to pay a fine within 30
days. The Police Chief will advise the alarm user that there may be
no emergency response, if serviced by a central alarm company, or
the Town of Bedford may disconnect the alarm system if interconnected
to the Bedford Emergency Dispatch. If a disconnect or no-response
is initiated, reinstatement can be made by the Police Chief upon payment
of fines or penalties and/or a finding that a reasonable effort has
been made to correct the false alarms.
B.
The Police Chief may also order an alarm disconnect or no emergency
response for any other reason deemed in the best interest of the Town
and public safety.
A.
The alarm user has the right to a hearing before any disconnect or
no-response order goes into effect. A hearing must be requested within
10 days of a notice to disconnect, notice of no response, or notice
of a false alarm. Failure to contest the determination in the required
time period results in a conclusive presumption that the alarm was
false and/or the notice to disconnect or no-response is valid.
B.
The hearing shall be before the respective Police Chief. The alarm
user shall have the right to present written and oral evidence subject
to the right of cross-examination. The Chief will arbitrate whether
or not the alarms are false and take appropriate action.
All revenues generated from this chapter will go to the general
fund of the Town of Bedford.
Violation of this chapter shall be punishable upon conviction
by a fine of not more than $500, plus any fines due to the Town.
