Editor’s Note: In this Chapter the word "Sheriff" is changed
to "Chief of Police"; the words "Sheriff Deputies" are changed to
"police officers"; the words "Sheriff’s Department" are changed
to "Police Department"; and the words "Sheriff personnel" are changed
to "police personnel" pursuant to the St. Charles County Charter Article
IV, Sections 4.250 and 4.1300, as amended in 2012 and effective 1-1-2015,
and St. Charles County Ord. No. 15-012, Section 2, adopted 1-26-2015.
[Ord. No. 94-51 §1, 3-31-1994; Ord. No. 02-108 §1, 7-31-2002; Ord. No. 12-033 §1, 5-3-2012]
For the purpose of this Chapter the following definitions will
apply:
Any notification intended to summon the Police to the alarm
site.
A single premises or location served by an alarm system or
systems.
Any device or system that emits, transmits or relays a signal
intended to summon, or that would be expected to summon, law enforcement
services of the County of St. Charles, including but not limited to
local alarms. Excluded under this Chapter are:
Any person, firm, partnership, corporation or other entity
who (which) uses or is in control of any alarm system at its alarm
site.
Alarm agency dispatch cancellation is the process by which
an alarm company providing monitoring verifies with the alarm user
or responsible party that a false dispatch has occurred and that there
is not an existing situation at the alarm site requiring law enforcement
agency response.
The St. Charles County Chief of Police or his designated
representative.
The unincorporated area of St. Charles County.
St. Charles County Police Department.
Any alarm notification to the Department, when the officer
finds no evidence of a criminal offense or attempted criminal offense
after having completed a timely investigation of the alarm site. For
the purposes of this Chapter, the following alarms are excluded from
this definition:
During electrical storms, tornados, blizzards and other severe
weather or acts of God.
The intermittent disruption or total disruption of the telephone
circuits beyond the control of the alarm company and/or alarm user.
Electrical power disruption or failure.
While the alarm or alarm system is being worked on and after
proper prior notification to the Department.
Any alarm system that emits a signal at an alarm site that
is audible or visible from the exterior of the structure.
Any individual, corporation, partnership, association, organization,
government body or similar entity.
[Ord. No. 94-51 §2, 3-31-1994; Ord. No. 02-108 §1, 7-31-2002]
A.
The
person in control of an alarm system shall:
1.
Maintain the premises and alarm system in a manner that will minimize
or eliminate false alarm notification.
2.
Provide the Department at all times the name, address and telephone
number of at least two (2) persons who have the knowledge and ability
to reset the alarm and secure the premises in case of an actual or
false alarm.
3.
Respond, or cause his representative to respond, to the alarm site
within a reasonable length of time once notified by the Department;
and to deactivate a malfunctioning alarm system, to provide access
to the premises by Department personnel, or to provide security for
the premises.
4.
Not manually, or allow another person to manually, activate an alarm
for any reason other than an occurrence of an event that the alarm
system was intended to report.
5.
Ensure that an audible local alarm is adjusted so that the alarm
signal will sound for no longer than ten (10) minutes after being
activated.
6.
Notify the Department any time that the alarm system is being altered
or repaired.
7.
Be responsible for the proper training of their personnel in the
operation of the system so that all provisions of this Chapter will
be complied with.
[Ord. No. 94-51 §3, 3-31-1994; Ord. No. 02-108 §1, 7-31-2002; Ord. No. 12-033 §1, 5-3-2012]
The Department shall be held harmless should a person, or his
designee, responsible for an alarm system summoned to the alarm site
verbally refuse to respond when notified of an alarm. In this case,
police officers will return to service and will not respond to the
location again until the site is properly secured and the alarm reset.
[Ord. No. 94-51 §4, 3-31-1994; Ord. No. 02-108 §1, 7-31-2002; Ord. No. 12-033 §1, 5-3-2012]
The Chief of Police will be responsible for maintaining records
of both alarm notifications and false alarm notifications, and will
notify all alarm users of false alarms by leaving a false alarm notification
flyer at the alarm site upon conclusion of the false alarm investigation.
When given FANs, alarm users shall be responsible for ensuring proper
operation of alarms and minimizing FANs, by conferring if necessary
with their alarm companies.
[Ord. No. 94-51 §5, 3-31-1994; Ord. No. 02-108 §1, 7-31-2002; Ord. No. 12-033 §1, 5-3-2012]
A.
The
person in control of an alarm system shall be subject to warnings
or fees depending upon the number of false alarm notifications emitted
from an alarm system within the current calendar year based upon the
following schedule:
|
|
Number of F.A.N.S
|
Action Taken
|
|---|---|---|
|
|
One
|
False Alarm Notification Flyer
|
|
|
Two
|
False Alarm Notification Flyer and Warning Letter from Chief
of Police
|
|
|
Three or more
|
False Alarm Notification Flyer and Letter from County Counselor
imposing Fee of $100.00 per F.A.N.
|
B.
A newly
installed alarm system will be exempt from the above schedule of F.A.N.
for thirty (30) days from the date of activation if notification is
received by the Department stating the date of activation of the system.
[Ord. No. 94-51 §6, 3-31-1994; Ord. No. 02-108 §1, 7-31-2002]
Alarm notifications caused by an actual criminal offense or
with evidence of a criminal offense attempt shall not be counted as
a F.A.N.
[Ord. No. 94-51 §7, 3-31-1994; Ord. No. 02-108 §1, 7-31-2002]
No automatic alarm notification systems, with pre-recorded messages,
will be allowed in the County of St. Charles that directly contacts
the Police Department; and the use of one of these alarm systems will
be a violation of this Chapter.
[Ord. No. 94-51 §8, 3-31-1994; Ord. No. 02-108 §1, 7-31-2002]
No direct line alarms shall be installed directly into the Department.
[Ord. No. 94-51 §9, 3-31-1994; Ord. No. 02-108 §1, 7-31-2002]
No telephone alarm system will be programmed to notify the Department
directly by use of the 9-1-1 emergency telephone line.
[Ord. No. 94-51 §10, 3-31-1994; Ord. No. 02-108 §1, 7-31-2002]
The intentional activation of an alarm when no crime is occurring,
or to test any alarm, or to test the response of police personnel
without first receiving Department permission will be a separate violation
of this Chapter.
[Ord. No. 94-51 §11, 3-31-1994; Ord. No. 02-108 §1, 7-31-2002; Ord. No. 12-033 §1, 5-3-2012]
Any person found in violation of Section 215.050 of this Chapter by failing timely to pay fees imposed pursuant to that Section may be subject to a fine of up to five hundred dollars ($500.00), or to imprisonment of up to ninety (90) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. However, no such fine or imprisonment shall be assessed in conjunction with a fee as outlined in Section 215.050.
[Ord. No. 94-51 §13, 3-31-1994; Ord. No. 02-108 §1, 7-31-2002]
The enforcement of the regulations established by this Chapter
shall be the responsibility of the County Counselor.
[1]
Editor's Note—Ord. no. 12-033 §1, adopted May 3,
2012, repealed section 215.130 "penalties" in its entirety. Former
section 215.130 derived from ord. no. 94-51 §14, 3-31-1994; ord.
no. 02-108 §1, 7-31-2002.
