[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of the Town of Monroe
as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The purpose of this article is to reduce excessive false alarms,
which burden the Monroe Police Department's limited law enforcement
resources by emphasizing to both alarm users and alarm companies the
need to properly use and maintain the operational effectiveness of
alarm systems. This article establishes reasonable expectations of
alarm users to ensure responsibility for the use of their alarm systems.
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article,
shall have the meanings ascribed to them, except where the context
clearly indicates a different meaning:
The Chief of Police or his designee, who shall administer,
control and review false alarm reduction efforts and administer the
provisions of this article.
A person or a company engaged in selling, leasing, installing,
servicing or monitoring alarm systems.
A permit issued by the Chief of Police allowing the operation
of an alarm system within the Town of Monroe.
A detectable signal, audible or visual, generated by an alarm
system, to which the Monroe Police Department is requested to respond.
Any single device or assembly of equipment designed to signal
the occurrence of an illegal or unauthorized entry or other activity
requiring immediate attention, and to which law enforcement is requested
to respond, but does not include motor vehicle or boat alarms, fire
alarms, domestic violence alarms or alarms designed to elicit a medical
response.
Any person, corporation, partnership, proprietorship, governmental
or education entity or any other entity owning, leasing or operating
an alarm system or on whose premises an alarm system is maintained
for the protection of such premises.
A class conducted for the purpose of educating alarm users
about the responsible use, operation and maintenance of alarm systems
and the problems created by false alarms.
The process where response is terminated when the alarm company
(designated by the alarm user) notifies the Monroe Police Department
that there is not an existing situation at the alarm site requiring
police response after an alarm dispatch request. If cancellation occurs
prior to police arriving at the scene, this is not a false alarm for
the purpose of civil penalty, and no penalty will be assessed.
The activation of an alarm system through mechanical or electronic
failure, malfunction, improper installation or the negligence of the
alarm user, his/her employees or agents, and signals activated to
summon law enforcement personnel, unless law enforcement response
was cancelled by the alarm user or his/her agent before law enforcement
personnel arrive at the alarm location. An alarm is false within the
meanings of this article when, upon inspection by the Monroe Police
Department, evidence indicates that no unauthorized entry, robbery
or other such crime was committed or attempted in or on the premises
which would have activated a properly functioning alarm system. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, a false alarm shall not include an alarm which can
reasonably be determined to have been caused or activated by unusually
violent conditions of nature nor does it include other extraordinary
circumstances not reasonably subject to control by the alarm user.
An alarm system that emits a signal at an alarm site that
is audible or visible from the exterior of a structure and is not
monitored by a remote monitoring facility, whether installed by an
alarm company or user.
A twelve-month period beginning on the day and month on which
an alarm permit is issued.
An alarm system that produces repeated alarm signals that
do not appear to be caused by separate human action. The Monroe Police
Department may, in its discretion, discontinue police responses to
alarm signals from what appears to be a runaway alarm.
The American National Standard Institute (ANSI) approved
Security Industry Association (SIA) CP-01 Control Panel Standard,
as may be updated from time to time, that details recommended design
features for security system control panels and their associated arming
and disarming devices to reduce false alarms. Control panels built
and tested to this standard by a nationally recognized testing organization
will be marked to state: "Design evaluated in accordance with SIA
CP-01 Control Panel Standard Features for False Alarm Reduction."
The Town of Monroe or its agent.
An attempt by the monitoring company, or its representative,
to contact the alarm site and/or alarm user by telephone and/or other
electronic means, whether or not actual contact with a person is made,
to attempt to determine whether an alarm signal is valid before requesting
law enforcement dispatch, in an attempt to avoid an unnecessary alarm
dispatch request. For the purpose of this article, telephone verification
shall require, as a minimum, that a second call be made to a different
number, if the first attempt fails to reach an alarm user who can
properly identify himself or herself to attempt to determine whether
an alarm signal is valid before requesting law enforcement dispatch.
A.
Permit required. No person shall use an alarm system without first
obtaining a permit for such alarm system from the Town of Monroe.
This applies to new alarm systems as well as existing alarm systems.
There will be no fee required for the initial registration, and the
alarm owner shall renew all information annually with the Monroe Police
Department with no fee charged to the alarm owner. Each alarm permit
shall be assigned a unique permit number, and the user shall provide
the permit number to the alarm company to facilitate law enforcement
dispatch.
B.
Application. The permit shall be requested on an application form
provided by the Town of Monroe. An alarm user has the duty to obtain
an application from the Town.
C.
Transfer of possession. When the possession of the premises at which
an alarm system is maintained is transferred, the person (user) obtaining
possession of the property shall file an application for an alarm
permit within 30 days of obtaining possession of the property. Alarm
permits are not transferable.
D.
Reporting updated information. Whenever the information provided
on the alarm permit application changes, the alarm user shall provide
correct information to the Town of Monroe within 30 days of the change.
In addition, each year after the issuance of the permit, permit holders
will receive from the Town a form requesting updated information.
The permit holder shall complete and return this form to the Town
when any of the requested information has changed; failure to comply
will constitute a violation and may result in a civil penalty.
E.
Multiple alarm systems. If an alarm user has one or more alarm systems
protecting two or more separate structures having different addresses
and/or tenants, a separate permit shall be required for each structure
and/or tenant.
The alarm user must:
A.
Maintain the premises and the alarm system in a method that will
reduce or eliminate false alarms.
B.
Provide the alarm company the permit number. (The number must be
provided to the Police Department communications center by the alarm
company to ensure dispatch.)
C.
Respond or cause a representative to respond to the alarm system's
location within 30 minutes when notified by the Monroe Police Department
to deactivate a malfunctioning alarm system.
D.
Not manually activate an alarm for any reason other than an occurrence
of an event that the alarm system was intended to report or to perform
routine maintenance as prescribed by alarm system provider.
E.
Obtain a new permit and pay any associated fees if there is a change
in address or ownership of a business or residence.
A.
Any person engaged in the alarm business in the Town of Monroe shall
comply with the following:
(1)
Obtain and maintain the required State of Connecticut license(s);
(2)
Be able to provide the name, address and telephone number of the
license holder or a designee who can be called in an emergency, 24
hours a day, and be able to respond to an alarm call, when notified,
within two hours; and
(3)
Be able to provide the most current contact information for the alarm
user.
B.
The alarm company shall provide written and oral instructions to
each of its alarm users in the proper operation of their alarm system,
including the proper method of turning the system on and off and how
to avoid false alarms.
C.
Ninety days after the enactment of this article, the alarm installation
companies shall, on all new and upgraded installations, use only alarm
control panel(s) which meet SIA Control Panel Standard CP-01.
D.
Prior to activation of the alarm system, the alarm company must provide
instructions explaining the proper operation of the alarm system to
the alarm user.
E.
The alarm company must provide written information on how to obtain
service from the alarm company for the alarm system.
F.
An alarm company performing monitoring services shall:
(1)
Attempt to verify an alarm, by calling the alarm site and/or alarm
user by telephone, to determine whether an alarm signal is valid before
requesting Police Department dispatch. Telephone verification shall
require, as a minimum, that a second call be made to a different number
if the first attempt fails to reach an alarm user who can properly
identify himself or herself to attempt to determine whether an alarm
signal is valid, except in the case of a panic or robbery-in-progress
alarm or in cases where a crime-in-progress has been verified by video
and/or audible means.
(2)
Provide an alarm user registration number to the Police Department
communications center to facilitate dispatch and /or cancellations.
(3)
Communicate any available information about the alarm.
(4)
Communicate a cancellation to the Police Department communications
center as soon as possible following a determination that response
is unnecessary.
A.
It shall be unlawful to activate an alarm system for the purpose
of summoning law enforcement when there is no reasonable belief that
a burglary, robbery or any other crime against life or property is
being committed or attempted on the premises or to otherwise cause
a false alarm.
B.
It shall be unlawful to install, maintain or use an audible alarm
system which can sound continually for more than 10 minutes.
A.
Excessive false alarms/failure to register. Two or more false alarms
within a permit year is excessive, constitutes a public nuisance and
shall be unlawful. Fines for excessive false alarms within a calendar
year may be assessed against an alarm user as follows:
B.
Other fees. Violations of other sections of this article will be
enforced through the assessment of a fee in the amount of $100 per
violation.
C.
Payment of fees. Fees shall be paid within 30 days from the date
of the invoice.
D.
Civil noncriminal violation. A violation of any of the provisions
of this article may cause civil action and shall not constitute a
misdemeanor or infraction.
E.
Allocation of fees. All fees received under this section shall be
credited to a separate account to be used to improve the police service.
The Town of Monroe may create and implement an alarm user awareness
class and may request the assistance of the area alarm companies to
assist in developing and implementing the class. The class shall inform
alarm users of the problems created by false alarms and instruct alarm
users how to help reduce false alarms. The Town may grant the option
of attending a class in lieu of paying one assessed fine.
A.
Appeals process. Assessments of civil penalty(ies) and other enforcement
decisions made under this article may be appealed by filing a written
notice of appeal with the Monroe Police Department within 10 days
after the date of notification of the assessment of civil fees or
other enforcement decision. The failure to give notice of appeal within
this time period shall constitute a waiver of the right to contest
the assessment of penalty(ies) or other enforcement decision. Appeals
shall be heard through an administrative process established by the
Town of Monroe and subject to the Statutes of the State of Connecticut.
The initial appeal shall be heard by the Police Chief or his/her designee.
Secondary appeals shall be submitted directly to the Board of Police
Commissioners who shall act in the capacity of a hearing board.
B.
Appeal standard. The hearing board shall review an appeal from the
assessment of civil penalty(ies) or other enforcement decision using
a preponderance of the evidence standard. Notwithstanding a determination
that the preponderance of the evidence supports the assessment of
civil penalty(ies) or other enforcement decision, the hearing board
shall have the discretion to dismiss or reduce civil fees or reverse
any other enforcement decision where warranted.
In the interest of public safety, all information contained
in and gathered through the alarm registration applications, no-response
records, applications for appeals and any other alarm records shall
be held in confidence by all employees and/or representatives of the
Town of Monroe.
Alarm registration is not intended to, nor will it, create a
contract, duty or obligation, either expressed or implied, for response.
Any and all liability and consequential damage resulting from the
failure to respond to a notification is hereby disclaimed, and governmental
immunity, as provided by law, is retained. By applying for an alarm
registration, the alarm user acknowledges that the Monroe Police Department
response may be influenced by factors such as the availability of
police units, priority of calls, weather conditions, traffic conditions,
emergency conditions, staffing levels and prior response history.
No fees or fines shall be assessed for alarm systems installed
by or on behalf of the Town of Monroe or the Board of Education. However,
the applicable municipal department or Board of Education shall register
any such alarm system with the Police Department. There shall be no
fees charged to the Town of Monroe or the Monroe Board of Education
for alarm registration.
