[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Township of
Patterson 12-10-1998 by Ord. No. 364.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
Any local alarm system actuated intentionally or by inadvertence,
negligence or unintentional act of someone other than an intruder and shall
include, as well, alarms caused by malfunctioning of the alarm device of other
relevant equipment and which results in an unnecessarily summoned response
by the Patterson Township Police Department or the Patterson Township Fire
Department, or their designated assignee.
Any type of alarm system actuating equipment which provides warning
of intrusion, fire, smoke, flood or other perils by a signal that is sounded
on the premises.
Any natural person, partnership, corporation or association or any
other legal entity.
The appearance of the Patterson Township Police Department or the
Patterson Township Volunteer Fire Department or their designated assignee
at the premises from which the local alarm system is activated, said appearance
occurring as a result of a call or other communication to the Department(s)
by the owner or occupier of the premises or his or her designated assignee.
A.
The Police Department and/or the Fire Department of the
Township of Patterson shall keep a record of all of their summoned responses
to false alarms caused by local alarm systems within the township.
B.
In the case of a false alarm, the Police Chief may cause
an investigation to be made as to the cause of said false alarm.
C.
Penalties in accordance with the following schedule shall
be imposed for the summoned response of the Patterson Township Police Department
or Fire Department or its designee to a false alarm: for the third false alarm
in any one-year period (the one-year period begins with first false alarm),
a warning shall be issued by the Police Chief; for the fourth false alarm
and each and every false alarm thereafter in the one-year period, a fine of
$100 shall be paid by the owner of the alarm system to the Township of Patterson.
The Police Chief shall cause written notice of any warning or fine imposed
by this section to be mailed to the owner of the alarm system, by certified
mail, return receipt requested. All fines imposed by this section shall be
paid no later than 30 days from the date of issuance. The township may seek
to recover said fine in District Court 36-1-02.
D.
Nothing contained in this section shall
be applicable to schools or municipal buildings.
