[Ord. No. 6063 §1, 3-24-2009]
A. 
The provisions of this Article are intended to address only alarms and alarm systems used to signal the occurrence of a crime. The provisions which follow are intended to enhance public safety by reducing or eliminating false alarms and the assignment of Police personnel in response thereto.
B. 
Alarms and alarm systems associated with fire and emergency medical situations are addressed in other provisions of this Code of Ordinances and remain in full force and effect.
[Ord. No. 6063 §1, 3-24-2009]
As used in this Article, the following words and terms shall mean as follows:
ALARM AGENT
Any person employed by an alarm business whose duties include altering, installing, maintaining, moving, repairing, replacing, selling, servicing, responding to or causing others to respond to an alarm device.
ALARM BUSINESS
Any business operated by a person or entity who engages in the activity of altering, installing, leasing, maintaining, moving, repairing, replacing, selling, servicing or responding to an emergency alarm system or which causes any of these activities to take place.
ALARM SYSTEM
Any mechanical or electrical device which is designed to be activated manually or automatically upon the detection of an unauthorized entry, intrusion or other criminal emergency in or on any building, structure, facility or premises through the emission of a sound or transmission of a signal or message.
ALARM USER
Any person who uses an alarm system to protect any building, structure, facility or premises.
AUDIBLE ALARM
A local alarm located on the building, structure, facility or premises protected and equipped with an exterior sound-producing device, such as a gong, buzzer, siren, bell or horn.
AUTOMATIC DIALING DEVICE
That part of an alarm system which automatically dials a specific telephone number and transmits a prerecorded emergency message.
FALSE ALARM
Any activation of an alarm system intentionally, by inadvertence, negligence, unintentional act or malfunction of the alarm system to which the City of Clayton Police Department is asked to respond when there is no unauthorized entry, intrusion or criminal emergency, provided that the following shall not be considered false alarms:
1. 
Alarms caused by the malfunction of equipment located in the Clayton Police Department or the East Central Dispatch Center.
2. 
Alarms caused by an attempted illegal or unauthorized entry of which there is visible or demonstrated evidence.
3. 
Alarms caused by damage, testing or repair of the means of transmission, provided that such incidents are promptly reported to the company providing said means of transmission.
4. 
Alarms caused by acts over which the user has no control, such as windstorm, thunder, lightning or other similar phenomena.
5. 
Alarms intentionally caused by a person acting under a reasonable belief that a need exists to summon Police assistance.
6. 
Alarms occurring on a repeated basis without apparent cause but where reasonable effort in the judgment of the Police Chief or his designated representative is being made by the alarm user, alarm business, alarm agent or other concerned person to correct the malfunction expeditiously.
7. 
Alarms followed by an immediate call to the Police Department canceling same by giving the proper code number prior to arrival of Police personnel.
[Ord. No. 6063 §1, 3-24-2009]
Automatic dialing devices shall only be programmed to dial a telephone number at the Police Department which is authorized by the Chief of Police and shall not be programmed to dial the Police Department emergency number.
[Ord. No. 6063 §1, 3-24-2009]
Any alarm business or alarm agent that sells, leases or installs an alarm system in the City of Clayton shall furnish the alarm user with written instructions for the operation of the system. The alarm business or alarm agent shall provide training in the operation of the system and, upon request from the alarm user, refresher training.
[Ord. No. 6063 §1, 3-24-2009]
Alarm systems installed after the effective date of this Article shall meet or exceed standards set by American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and/or Underwriter Laboratories (UL) for the applicable alarm system.
[Ord. No. 6063 §1, 3-24-2009]
Any alarm business or alarm agent that sells, leases or installs an alarm system within the City of Clayton must offer, either directly or through an agency, repair service for said alarm system to maintain it in proper working order.
[Ord. No. 6063 §1, 3-24-2009]
For the purpose of enforcing provisions of this Article, the Police Chief or his designated representative shall have the authority, at reasonable times and upon reasonable oral notice, to enter any building, structure, facility or premises in the City of Clayton in or upon which an alarm system or alarm business is located to inspect the installation or operation of such alarm system or alarm business. Any alarm user may request written notice of inspection and at any alarm user's option inspection shall be made at alarm user's expense by a licensed electrical contractor acceptable to him and to the City. If such inspection reveals any violation of the provision of this Article, the alarm user or alarm business shall be granted thirty (30) days to correct such violation.
[Ord. No. 6063 §1, 3-24-2009]
The City of Clayton shall not be liable for any defects in operation of automatic dialing devices or signal line systems for any failure or neglect to respond appropriately upon receipt of an alarm from any such source, nor for the failure or neglect of any alarm business or alarm agent.
[Ord. No. 6063 §1, 3-24-2009]
A. 
An alarm, as that term is defined in this Article, is declared to be an ordinance violation. There shall be no penalty for the first two (2) false alarms in any twelve (12) month period or for any false alarms during the first two (2) weeks following the installation of an alarm system.
B. 
Thereafter, the penalty for false alarms shall be as follows: for the third (3rd) or subsequent false alarm in any twelve (12) month period, the alarm user shall be punished as provided in Section 215.930 below.
C. 
In lieu of prosecution, if the Police Chief determines that the false alarm in question was primarily due to inadvertence and was not an intentionally false summoning of Police assistance, the offender may pay to the Director of Finance an administrative penalty of fifty dollars ($50.00) for the third (3rd) false alarm in a twelve (12) month period, one hundred dollars ($100.00) for the fourth (4th) false alarm in any twelve (12) month period and two hundred dollars ($200.00) for any subsequent false alarm in any twelve (12) month period.
[Ord. No. 6063 §1, 3-24-2009]
Any alarm business or alarm agent installing an alarm system within the City of Clayton shall be licensed and bonded in compliance with applicable ordinances of St. Louis County and if required by applicable ordinances of the City of Clayton or Statutes of the State of Missouri.
[Ord. No. 6063 §1, 3-24-2009]
The Sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses and phrases of this Article are severable and if any Section, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of this Article shall be declared unconstitutional by the valid judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction, such unconstitutionality shall not affect any of the remaining Sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses or phrases of this Article.
[Ord. No. 6063 §1, 3-24-2009]
Any person, firm, corporation, institution or organization or representative thereof violating any of the provisions of this Article or failing to comply with any of the provisions of this Article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00); and each day such failure to comply or such violation continues shall be deemed a separate offense.