[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Borough of Longport 3-27-1996 by Ord. No. 96-03. Amendments noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ALARM
An automatic protection device to detect burglary, smoke, fire, holdup or other similar type of event.
DIRECT KEYING OF ALARMS
Alarms which directly dial into the Borough of Longport Police/Fire Departments and deliver a recorded or digital message.
FALSE ALARM
Any alarm activation causing direct notification to the Borough of Longport Police/Fire Departments, or causing an audible alarm without such notification, which is not caused by an actual burglary, smoke, fire, holdup or attempted burglary. Accidental, known or unknown conditions causing the false alarm shall not excuse the same.
INDIRECT KEYING OF ALARMS
Alarms which directly dial into an intermediary, also known as a "central station," to report the activation of an alarm, whereupon the intermediary calls the Borough of Longport Police/Fire Departments to report such activation.
Prohibited alarms shall be as follows:
A. 
Direct keying of alarms.
B. 
Indirect keying of alarms except if notification is by live voice and not by recorded or digital notification from the intermediary, and if the intermediary, in the case of a burglar alarm, provides its customers with a call back to seek verification that the alarm was not a false alarm for the purpose of limiting the number of false alarm calls to the Police Department.
Owners or lessees having an audible alarm system must have working timing mechanisms that will disengage the audible alarm after a maximum period of 15 minutes.
All components comprising an alarm system shall be maintained by the owner or lessee in good repair to assure maximum reliability of operation.
[Amended 10-18-2000 by Ord. No. 2000-11]
Any person, corporation, partnership or other entity who owns or controls an alarm or other similar device in the Borough of Longport, which causes three false alarms in any calendar year, shall be deemed in violation of the provision of this chapter for each false alarm thereafter.
[Amended 10-18-2000 by Ord. No. 2000-11]
A. 
Penalties.
(1) 
False alarms. Any person, corporation, partnership or entity violating § 55-5, false alarms limit, of this chapter for a first over-limit false alarm (fourth false alarm in one calendar year) shall be billed an over-limit fee of $50; for a second over-limit false alarm (fifth false alarm in one calendar year) shall be billed an over-limit fee of $100; and for a third and for each subsequent over-limit false alarm (sixth false alarm and thereafter) shall be billed an over-limit fee of $200. All over-limit fees shall be billed to the homeowner and shall be due and payable in 30 days, and shall be subject to collection as in the same manner as collection of water and sewer charges.
(2) 
All other violations. Any person, corporation, partnership or entity violating any other provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction, be subject to a fine not to exceed $500 or to imprisonment for terms not to exceed 60 days, or any combination thereof.
B. 
Continuing offense. Upon conviction, a violator shall have fourteen days to either remove the alarm or to bring it into compliance with this chapter. Failure to do so shall constitute a new and subsequent offence.
C. 
Jurisdiction. The Municipal Court of the Borough of Longport shall have jurisdiction over this chapter, except for billing and collection of over limit fees for false alarms.