[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Watertown
by Ord. No. 74-59 (§§ 9.19 and 9.20 of the former City Code); amended
in its entirety by Ord. No. 98-62. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Any alarm device or system which transmits its alarm signal
from the location of the alarm to the police radio dispatch center,
other police dispatch facility or central station by any means except
a direct dial alarm device, as defined in this section.
An intrusion, burglar, holdup or similar system which is
designed to summon or cause a response by the Police Department, or
that gives a signal, either visual, audible, or both, on the exterior
portion of the property, but does not leave that structure by wire,
radio waves, or other transmission to a control receiving location.
The person, partnership, corporation or other entity of any
kind that owns or is in control of any building, structure or facility
or portion thereof wherein an alarm system is in operation.
Any alarm device which produces an audible signal at the
premises where it is installed, whether by means of horns, bells,
sirens or other mechanisms, thereby notifying persons within audible
range of the signal that police should be notified. (Smoke detectors
or fire detectors located in individual residences or businesses are
expressly excluded from this category of audible alarm device.)
Any facility that is manned at all times by trained operators
employed to receive, record and validate alarm signals and to relay
information about validated signals to the police radio dispatch center
when appropriate.
Any device which, when activated, transmits a prerecorded
message or other signal by telephone directly to the police radio
dispatch center, requesting a police or fire response.
Any alarm signal originating from an alarm device, alarm
system or audible alarm device to which the police respond and which
results from:
False activation, including reporting a robbery where no actual
or attempted robbery has occurred, or reporting a burglar alarm where
there is no evidence to substantiate an attempted or forced entry
to the premises.
Alarm malfunction, including mechanical failure or electrical
failure.
Alarm triggered by negligence, including overly sensitive settings.
A.Â
No person shall install, cause, continue, maintain or permit to exist
any alarm device within the City of Watertown without first completing
an application supplied by the Clerk's office accompanied by a permit
fee as set by the Common Council and provided under separate fee schedule.
[Amended 10-4-2016 by Ord. No. 16-18; 7-5-2022 by Ord. No. 22-63
B.Â
The alarm permit application shall include the following information:
(1)Â
The name, address and telephone number of the alarm user.
(2)Â
The name, address and telephone number of a person or firm which
can be contacted in the event of an emergency or false alarm and is
available upon request of the Police Department within 1/2 hour of
notification of such emergency or false alarm to provide a key to
the premises for which the alarm has been activated for the purpose
of inspecting the premises or resetting the alarm system.
(3)Â
Identification of the alarm company.
(4)Â
Any other information deemed necessary by the Chief of Police for
the purpose of providing an appropriate response by the Police Department.
(5)Â
Notice of liability for the response fee set forth in § 216-4D and notice that the response fee may be placed as a special charge on the alarm user's tax roll pursuant to § 66.0627, Wis. Stats., if not paid.
(6)Â
Notice that, in the event that the Police Department responds to
an alarm at the premises covered by the alarm system and neither the
permit holder nor an authorized agent is present, the permit holder
consents to the entry into the premises, if necessary, to ascertain
the cause of the alarm.
[Amended by Ord. No. 02-57; 4-6-2015 by Ord. No.
15-6]
B.Â
In the event any alarm or warning signal is audible to others not
on the premises where the audible alarm device is maintained, the
alarm user shall terminate or cause the audible alarm to be terminated
no later than 30 minutes after the activation of said audible signal.
C.Â
Upon installation of a new alarm system, the alarm user will be given
a thirty-day grace period, during which time no response fees will
be imposed. This grace period allows for proper installation and necessary
adjustments of said alarm system.
A.Â
No person owning, using or possessing an alarm system shall cause
or permit the activation of a false alarm.
B.Â
No person shall intentionally cause the activation of an alarm system,
knowing that no emergency exists.
C.Â
Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the discretion
of the Police Department to take into account mitigating circumstances
in enforcing this chapter.
D.Â
Response fees for false alarms.
[Amended by Ord. No. 02-57; 4-6-2015 by Ord. No.
15-6]
(1)Â
In the instance of a first false alarm response within any twelve-month
period, the City of Watertown Police Department shall cause to be
issued a warning, setting forth a description of the violation of
this section with a copy of the ordinance to the owner as well as
any occupant, lessee or legal possessor of the address summoning a
response.
(2)Â
In the instance of any second false alarm response within any twelve-month
period, the City of Watertown Police Department shall cause to be
issued a final warning, setting forth a description of the violation
of this section with a copy of the ordinance to the owner as well
as any occupant, lessee or legal possessor of the address summoning
a response.
(3)Â
In the instance of any third or subsequent false alarm response within
any twelve-month period, the City of Watertown Police Department shall
cause to be issued to an alarm user a due and payable invoice for
response costs in the minimum sum as set by the Common Council and
provided under separate fee schedule, the date payment is due, the
right of the alarm user to a hearing before the Chief of Police if
a request therefor is made before the date payment is due, and a warning
that any unpaid response fee will be allocated to the alarm user's
property tax roll as a special charge pursuant to § 66.0627,
Wis. Stats., at the alarm user's last known address with copy to the
owner, at the owner's last known address, as well as any occupant,
lessee or legal possessor of the address summoning a response. The
City of Watertown Police Department shall collect such additional
amounts at the same rate in fifteen-minute increments if the time
expended by the Police Department exceeds one-half hour.[1]
E.Â
Periodic alarm testing will not result in a response fee, as long
as prior notification to the Police Department was made, along with
notification once the testing is completed.
F.Â
Storm-related false alarms which can be reasonably verified shall
be exempt from any response fees.
A.Â
For the purposes of this section, an alarm user who is lessee, occupant
or tenant of the premises from which the false alarm originated shall
be deemed agent of the owner thereof.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original Section 9.19 5(b), pertaining to invoices
and notices, which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed
4-6-2015 by Ord. No. 15-6 and subsequent subsection renumbered accordingly.
Any person who shall violate any provision of this chapter shall be subject to a penalty as provided in § 1-4 of this Code. Each violation and each day a violation continues or occurs shall constitute a separate offense. This action shall not preclude the City from maintaining any appropriate action to prevent or remove a violation of this chapter.
