Town of Genesee, WI Chapter 221 Alarm Systems

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Genesee as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]

Article I False Alarms

[Adopted 3-10-1986]

§ 221-1 Intent. [1]

Although the Town of Genesee recognizes that alarm systems serve a public purpose, it is the intent of this article to prohibit all false alarms in order to prevent responses by the Police or Fire Department servicing the Town of Genesee citizenry when an emergency situation does not exist, due to carelessness, improper maintenance of alarm systems or any other cause which results in false alarms from privately owned, commercially owned, leased or contracted alarm systems. Such false alarms initiate police and fire personnel and vehicle response which results in unnecessary expense to the Town, increases the risk of damage to property or injury to persons and depletes protection available to other areas of the Town. Such false alarms constitute a public nuisance which much be abated and/or penalized.

[1] Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).

§ 221-2 Liability for costs.

A. Any individual, partnership, corporation or other entity owning, leasing, renting or maintaining or in any way responsible for an alarm system, of any type, located at any property, which results in a signal, regardless of how received, resulting in a response by the Police or Fire Department personnel when an emergency situation does not exist shall be liable and responsible for any and all costs incurred, in any way, by the Town of Genesee for said police or fire response.

B. Upon default of payment, said costs shall be included as a special charge against the property tax on the subject property.

§ 221-3 Administrative review.

Any individual, partnership, corporation or other entity aggrieved by any administrative determination under § 221-2 of this article may have such determination reviewed by the Town Board of the Town of Genesee as provided by the Town of Genesee and State of Wisconsin administrative review procedures.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: See Ch. 9, Administrative Review.

§ 221-4 Violations and penalties.

A. In addition to the aforementioned costs, any individual, partnership, corporation or other entity owning, leasing, renting or maintaining or in any way responsible for an alarm system, of any type, located at any property, who or which is found to have permitted a signal to occur which intentionally, negligently or unintentionally resulted in a response by the Police or Fire Department personnel when an emergency situation did not exist is in violation of this article and upon conviction is subject to the following:

[Amended 9-12-1994 by Ord. No. 94-6]

(1) Any person over the age of 17 years shall be subject to a forfeiture of not less than $10 nor more than $500 plus allowable statutory costs per each offense. Failure to pay any forfeiture hereunder shall subject any violator over the age of 17 years to be sentenced to the county jail and/or revocation or suspension of driving privileges.

(2) Any person between the ages of 12 and 17 years shall be subject to a forfeiture of not less than $10 nor more than $500 plus allowable statutory costs per each offense or referred to the proper authorities as provided in Ch. 48, Wis. Stats. Failure to pay any forfeiture hereunder shall subject any violator to the provisions of § 938.17(2), Wis. Stats.

(3) Any person under the age of 12 years shall be referred to the proper authorities as provided in Ch. 48, Wis. Stats.

B. Upon default of payment, said fine shall be included as a special charge against the property tax on the subject property.