This article shall apply to all private police alarm systems
connected to the Police Department through a central station system
or other automatic means, i.e., automatic telephone dialers. For purposes
of this article, a multistructure complex owned and/or operated by
one owner, association, trust, corporation, tenant association, or
condominium association shall be deemed to be one location alarm.
Upon the recording of the third false alarm by the Police Department
within the period of one calendar year, the Chief shall notify the
owner of the building of such fact by certified mail and shall include
the Department's policy with regard to fines assessed for false alarms.
Property owners will be billed once a month for the previous
month's false alarm activity. If payment is not received within 30
days, a second notice will be sent. If payment is not received within
a second thirty-day period, the Police Chief may seek a criminal complaint
in Taunton District Court for violation of this article and failure
to pay the fines assessed or proceed with noncriminal disposition
of the matter in accordance with MGL c. 40, § 21D.
Any police alarm system owner who is aggrieved by an action
taken by the Police Chief under this article may, within 10 days after
notice of such action, file an appeal in writing to the Municipal
Council. The Council shall hold a hearing within 30 days and shall
forthwith issue a written decision in which it affirms, annuls, or
modifies the action taken by the Police Chief. Said decision shall
be mailed by certified mail to the owner and filed with the City Clerk
within 10 days after hearing. The decision of the Council shall be
a final administrative decision. The owner shall have 30 days from
the date of the filing of the written decision in the office of the
City Clerk to seek judicial review in a court of competent jurisdiction.
The Police Chief may promulgate such regulations as may be necessary
to implement this article. The Police Chief is authorized to pursue
such legal action as may be necessary to enforce this article.