[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the City of
Aberdeen as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
[Adopted 8-9-2004 by Ord. No. 655-04 (Ch. 40, Art. I of
the 1990 Code)]
The purpose of this article is to establish standards and regulate
the various types of intrusion, holdup and other emergency signals
from alarm users that require police response or investigation.
Unless it is apparent from the context that another meaning
is intended, the following terms, phrases, words and their derivations
shall have the meaning given herein. When not inconsistent with the
context, words used in the present tense include the future; words
used in the plural number include the singular. The word "shall" is
always mandatory and not merely directory.
Alarms are to include any device the purpose of which is
to detect the occurrence of any emergency and designed to transmit
an audible, visual, telephone, computer, or other signal indicating
the occurrence of the emergency.
[Amended 8-23-2010 by Ord. No. 10-O-12; 7-28-2014 by Ord. No.
14-O-16]
Any person owning, occupying or controlling any building
or premises in the City of Aberdeen in, on, or at which an alarm system
is maintained. For purpose of this article, any tenant, lessee, licensee,
or invitee who or which causes an alarm system to be maintained within
the City of Aberdeen shall be deemed to be an alarm user subject to
this article.
An alarm system that automatically sends over regular telephone
lines, by direct connection or otherwise, a prerecorded voice message
or coded signal indicating the existence of an emergency situation
that the alarm system is designated to detect.
[Amended 8-23-2010 by Ord. No. 10-O-12]
An alarm system in which the signal transmission is initiated
by the action of the intruder.
An alarm system signaling an entry or attempted entry into
the area protected by the system.
City of Aberdeen, Maryland.
An alarm system which has the capability of transmitting
system signals directly to the Aberdeen Police Department.
The activation of an alarm system, to include an automatic
dialing device, through mechanical failure, malfunction, improper
installation, or the negligence of the owner or lessee of an alarm
system or of his employees or agents that results in a response by
the Aberdeen Police Department and/or the Aberdeen Fire Department.
Such terminology does not include, for example, alarms caused by hurricanes,
tornadoes, earthquakes, electrical storms or other violent conditions
or an alarm signal activated during the first 30 calendar days after
an alarm system is installed.
[Amended 7-28-2014 by Ord. No. 14-O-16]
A device that gives warning of a fire.
[Added 7-28-2014 by Ord.
No. 14-O-16]
An alarm system signaling a robbery or attempted robbery.
The Aberdeen Police Department.
The Chief of Police or his designated representatives.
Any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation,
company or organization of any kind.
No direct connections shall be permitted in Aberdeen unless
authorized by the Chief of Police.
A.
Each alarm user, at his expense, is required to maintain all components
of his alarm system in good working order at all times to ensure that
the sensory mechanism used in connection with such device is adjusted
to suppress false indications of emergencies. The device shall not
be activated by impulses due to short flashes of light, wind noises,
vehicular noise or other forces unrelated to genuine alarms.
B.
No alarm system designed to transmit emergency messages shall be
tested or demonstrated without first notifying the Aberdeen Police
Department.
No person shall allow, permit, cause or fail to prevent the
emission, for any reason, by any alarm used by him, or any alarm serving
a premises or a building occupied and controlled by such person, of
more than three false alarms within any calendar month or more than
eight false alarms within any calendar year. The emission by any alarm
system of either more than three false alarms in any calendar month
or more than eight false alarms in any calendar year is deemed to
be excessive and constitutes a serious public nuisance and is subject
to service charges set out in the section following.
A violation of this article shall be deemed a municipal infraction. Any person violating any provision of this article shall be subject to a civil penalty in the amount of $50 for the first offense, $100 for the second offense, and $300 for the third offense. Trials, violation procedures and failure to pay fines shall be in accordance with Chapter 95 (Municipal Infractions) of the Aberdeen City Code.
This article shall be effective 20 days after passage and shall
apply to all pending preliminary plans and those submitted after the
effective date of this article.
