[R.O. 2008 § 205.010; R.O. 2007 § 205.010; Ord. No. 2051 § 2, 8-7-1992]
The purpose of this Chapter is to
encourage security alarm users and alarm businesses to maintain the
operational reliability of, and to properly use, alarm systems, thereby
limiting unnecessary police emergency responses to false alarms.
[R.O. 2008 § 205.020; R.O. 2007 § 205.020; Ord. No. 2051 § 3, 8-7-1992]
For the purposes of this Chapter,
the following words shall have the meanings set out herein:
Any notification intended to summon the police to the alarm
site.
A single premises or location served by an alarm system or
systems.
Any device or system that emits, transmits, or relays a signal
intended to summon, or that would be expected to summon, police services
of the City of O'Fallon, including, but not limited to, local alarms.
Excluded under this Chapter are:
The O'Fallon Chief of Police or his/her designated representative.
O'Fallon Police Department.
Any alarm notification to the Department, when the officer
finds no evidence of a criminal offense or attempted criminal offense.
For the purposes of this Chapter, the following alarms are excluded
from this definition:
During electrical storms, tornados,
blizzards and other severe weather or acts of God.
The intermittent disruption or total
disruption of the telephone circuits beyond the control of the alarm
company and/or alarm user.
Electrical power disruption or failure.
While the alarm or alarm system is
being worked on and after proper prior notification to the Department.
Any alarm system that emits a signal at an alarm site that
is audible or visible from the exterior of the structure.
Any individual, corporation, partnership, association, organization,
government body or similar entity.
[R.O. 2008 § 205.030; R.O. 2007 § 205.030; Ord. No. 2051 § 4, 8-7-1992]
A.
The person in control of an alarm system
shall:
1.
Maintain the premises and alarm system
in a manner that will minimize or eliminate false alarm notification.
2.
Provide the Department at all times
the name, address and telephone number of at least two (2) persons
who have the knowledge and ability to reset the alarm and secure the
premises in case of an actual or false alarm.
3.
Respond, or cause his/her representative
to respond, to the alarm site within a reasonable length of time once
notified by the Department; and to deactivate a malfunctioning alarm
system, to provide access to the premises by Department personnel,
or to provide security for the premises.
4.
Not manually, or allow another person
to manually activate an alarm for any reason other than an occurrence
of an event that the alarm system was intended to report.
5.
Ensure that an audible local alarm
is adjusted so that the alarm signal will sound for no longer than
ten (10) minutes after being activated.
6.
Notify the Department any time that
the alarm system is being altered or repaired.
7.
Be responsible for the proper training
of their personnel in the operation of the system so that all provisions
of this Chapter will be complied with.
[R.O. 2008 § 205.040; R.O. 2007 § 205.040; Ord. No. 2051 § 5, 8-7-1992]
The Department shall be held harmless
should a person, or his/her designate, responsible for an alarm system
summoned to the alarm site verbally refuse to respond when notified
of an alarm. In this case, Police Officers will return to service
and will not respond to the location again until the site is properly
secured and the alarm reset.
[R.O. 2008 § 205.050; R.O. 2007 §205.050; Ord. No. 2051 §6, 8-7-1992]
The Chief will be responsible for
maintaining records of both alarm notifications and false alarm notifications,
and will notify all alarm users within five (5) working days of any
FANs. If there is reason to believe that an alarm system is not being
used or maintained in a manner that ensures proper operation and minimizes
FAN, the Chief may require a conference with the alarm user and the
alarm company, if applicable, to review the circumstances for each
false alarm.
[R.O. 2008 § 205.060; R.O. 2007 § 205.060; Ord. No. 2051 §§ 7 – 8, 8-7-1992]
A.
The person in control of an alarm system
shall be subject to warnings or fees depending upon the number of
false alarm notifications (FAN) emitted from an alarm system within
the current calendar year based upon the following schedule:
|
No. of FANs
|
Action Taken
|
|---|---|
|
1 – 3
|
Warning letter.
|
|
4 or more
|
Warning letter and a fee of one hundred
dollars ($100.00) per FAN.
|
B.
A newly installed alarm system will be
exempt from the above schedule of FAN for thirty (30) days from the
date of activation if notification is received by the Department stating
the date of activation of the system.
C.
Alarm notifications caused by an actual
criminal offense or with evidence of a criminal offense attempt, shall
not be counted as an FAN.
D.
It shall be unlawful for the person in control of an alarm system and the owner of property having an alarm system fail to pay any imposed fee pursuant to this Section within thirty (30) days of the issuance of such fee. Any violation of this Section shall be subject to the penalties provided in Section 100.010. Each day shall constitute a separate violation.
[R.O. 2008 § 205.070; R.O. 2007 § 205.070; Ord. No. 2051 §§ 9 – 11, 8-7-1992]
A.
No automatic alarm notification systems,
with pre-recorded messages, will be allowed in the City of O'Fallon
that directly contacts the Police Department; and the use of one of
these alarm systems will be a violation of this Chapter.
B.
No direct line alarms shall be installed
directly into the Department.
C.
No telephone alarm system will be programmed
to notify the Department directly by use of the "911" emergency telephone
line.
[R.O. 2008 § 205.080; R.O. 2007 § 205.080; Ord. No. 2051 § 12, 8-7-1992]
The intentional activation of an
alarm when no crime is occurring, or to test any alarm, or to test
the response of police personnel, without first receiving department
permission will be a separate violation of this Chapter.
[R.O. 2008 § 205.090; R.O. 2007 § 205.090; Ord. No. 2051 § 13, 8-7-1992]
Any person found in violation of any of the provisions of this Chapter, with the exceptions of Section 205.030(A)(1), (2),(3), (6) and (7), may be subject to a penalty as set out in Section 100.010. However, no penalty shall be assessed in conjunction with a fee as outlined in Section 205.060(A).
[R.O. 2008 § 205.100]
A.
As used in this Article, the term "convenience
business" means any place of business that is primarily engaged in
the retail sale of groceries, or both groceries and gasoline, and
is open for business at any time between the hours of 11:00 P.M. and
5:00 A.M. The term "convenience business" does not include:
B.
A political subdivision of this State may
not adopt, for convenience businesses, security standards which differ
from those contained in this Article, and all such differing standards
are hereby preempted and superseded by State Statute.
[R.O. 2008 § 205.110]
A.
Prior to January 1, 1997, for the protection
of employees and the consumer public at late-night convenience businesses,
every operator of a convenience business shall ensure that such operator's
convenience business is equipped with the following:
1.
A bullet-resistant glass enclosure
or security camera system capable of recording and retrieving an image
to assist law enforcement officials in the identification and apprehension
of a criminal offender and by January 1, 1998, such system shall have
at least one (1) camera focused on the cash register area;
2.
A drop safe or cash-management device
for restricted access to cash receipts;
3.
Lighting for parking areas and entrances
at an intensity to provide clear visibility under normal conditions,
which can be satisfied by canopy lighting within ten (10) feet of
the building;
4.
A conspicuous notice at the entrance
which states that the cash register contains limited funds;
5.
Height markers at the entrance of
the convenience business which display height measures; and
6.
A cash management policy to limit
the cash on hand at all times after 11:00 P.M. and before 5:00 A.M.
B.
Prior to January 1, 1998, for the protection
of employees and the consumer public at late-night convenience businesses,
every operator of a convenience business shall ensure that such operator's
convenience business is equipped with the following:
C.
After January 1, 1997, for the protection
of employees and the consumer public at late-night convenience businesses,
every operator of a convenience business shall ensure that:
[R.O. 2008 § 205.120]
The operator of a convenience business
shall provide each employee with training in proper robbery deterrence
and safety within sixty (60) days of an employee's date of employment
or if a person is an employee on January 1, 1997, then by July 1,
1997.
