[Adopted 8-12-1993 by Ord. No. 1000,
approved 8-12-1993]
This article shall be known as and may be cited as the "False Burglar
and Fire Alarm Control Ordinance."
Whereas the Council for the Borough of Glenolden has determined that
the receipt of false burglary and false fire alarms indicating that emergencies
exist is detrimental to the welfare and safety of the citizens of the Borough
of Glenolden, the Police Department and volunteer fire departments, it is
hereby declared to be the policy to safeguard and protect the residents of
the Borough of Glenolden and the personnel of the Police Department and volunteer
fire departments from such hazards or risks.
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall
have the following meanings ascribed to them:
ALARMS
Any mechanical or electronic signals reporting by means of telephone
cables or other means of transmission, which signals are monitored by the
Police Department of the Borough of Glenolden at its headquarters, or audible
alarms which are heard and/or called in by another, and which signals, upon
receipt or upon activation, indicate to the Police Department that an emergency
exists at the sending location. Said alarms shall include those types installed
to indicate burglaries or fires at the sending location.
BURGLARY
The attempt to break into, the act of breaking into or the intrusion
on a property of a person, partnership, association, syndicate, company, firm,
trust, corporation, department, bureau, agency or other entity recognized
by law as the subject of rights and duties.
FALSE NOTIFICATION
Any report or request for police or fire service directed to the
Police Department or Fire Department by any means of communication wherein
the situation, condition, incident or emergency as subject of the report or
request does not exist.
PERSON
Any individual, partnership, association, firm, syndicate, company,
trust, corporation, department, bureau, agency or other entity recognized
by law as the subject of rights and duties.
The Police Department shall have the power and duty to enforce the provisions
of this article.
After the effective date of this article, it shall be unlawful for any
person who is the owner, lessee or occupant of any structure in which a burglar
or fire alarm has been installed to:
A. Cause, suffer, allow or permit the accidental or purposeful
transmission of a false burglar or fire alarm signal from any public or private
place in the Borough of Glenolden to the Police Department or Fire Department
of the Borough of Glenolden.
B. Cause, suffer, allow or permit to be made any report
or request for police or fire service or assistance by any means of communication
wherein the situation, condition, incident or emergency as subject to the
report or request for police or fire service or assistance did not and does
not exist.
No person shall install or maintain in any building, structure or establishment
in the Borough of Glenolden an external audible alarm of any type which does
not also contain an automatic cutoff system or feature automatically cutting
off the source of power to the alarm after it has sounded for a period of
no longer than 15 minutes.
Any person who is the owner, lessee or occupant of any structure in
which a burglar or fire alarm has been installed who violates the provisions
of this article shall, upon conviction thereof by any District Justice, be
sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $300, together
with costs of prosecution. Each instance of a violation shall constitute a
separate offense. In default of the payment of any fine, the defendant shall
be imprisoned for a period not exceeding five days.