[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Meeting of the Town of Groveland
as Ch. 8, § 8-17, of the General Bylaws. Amendments noted
where applicable.]
As used in this bylaw, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
An assembly of equipment and devices or single device such
as a solid-state unit which plugs directly into a 110-volt AC line,
arranged to signal the presence of a hazard requiring urgent attention
and to which police are expected to respond. The provisions of this
bylaw shall not apply to alarm devices or premises owned or controlled
by the Town nor to alarm devices installed in a motor vehicle or trailer.
The activation of an alarm system through mechanical failure,
malfunction, improper installation or negligence of the user of an
alarm system or of his employees or agents.
An incident in which the police are dispatched to the alarmed
premises due to any signal or oral communication transmitted to the
Police Department requesting or requiring a response on the part of
the Police Department when in fact there has been no unauthorized
intrusion, robbery or burglary, imminent hazard or attempted threat.
For the purposes of this definition, activation of alarm systems
by acts of God, including, but not limited to, power outages, hurricanes,
tornadoes, earthquakes, and similar weather or atmospheric disturbances,
shall not be deemed to be a false alarm.
[Amended 4-24-2023 ATM by Art.
16]
Within six months after the effective date of this bylaw, all
automatic dialing devices interconnected to any telephone numbers
at the Police Department shall be disconnected therefrom at the expense
of the user. The user of each such device shall be responsible for
having the device disconnected upon notification by the Chief of Police
and/or his designee.
[Amended 4-24-2023 ATM by Art.
16]
A.
All alarm systems installed after the effective date of this bylaw
which use an audible horn or bell shall be equipped with a device
that will shut off such horn or bell within 15 minutes after activation
of the alarm system.
B.
Any alarm system emitting a continuous and uninterrupted signal for
more than 15 minutes between 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. which cannot
be shut off or otherwise curtailed due to the absence or unavailability
of the alarm user or those persons designated by him, and which disturbs
the peace, comfort or repose of the neighborhood or of a considerable
number of inhabitants of the area where the alarm system is located,
shall constitute a public nuisance. Upon receiving complaints regarding
such a continuous and uninterrupted signal, the Chief of Police and/or
his designee shall endeavor to contact the alarm user, or members
of the alarm user's family, or those persons designated by the alarm
user in an effort to abate the nuisance. The Chief of Police and/or
his designee shall cause to be recorded the names and addresses of
all complaints and the time each complaint was made.
