[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees
of the Village of Great Neck Estates 3-6-1978 by L.L. No. 2-1978 (Ch.
34 of the 1981 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
This chapter shall be known as the "Alarm System
Law" and is intended to foster and render more effective the installation
of alarm systems having the capability of calling or signaling law
enforcement authorities.
A.
ALARM SYSTEM
For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
A burglar alarm system, a fire alarm system or a system combining
the elements of a burglar and fire alarm system or a system for transmission
of other emergency signals.
B.
All references in this chapter to "Village" shall
refer to the Village of Great Neck Estates.
On or after the effective date of this chapter,
no owner, tenant, resident or occupant (hereinafter collectively referred
to as "resident") of any building or structure within the Village
shall install or cause to be installed in any premises in the Village
any alarm system, calling device, signaling device or other mechanical
device or apparatus connected or capable of being connected directly
or indirectly to the Village police headquarters office or telephone
line without first receiving a permit for the installation.
A.
Applications for permits shall be on a form prescribed
by the Police Commissioner of the Village.
B.
Permits shall be issued by the Mayor or such other
person as authorized by law.
C.
No permit shall be issued unless the applicant demonstrates
that the alarm system to be installed meets the standards set forth
in this chapter.
D.
An application for a permit shall constitute an authorization
that the Village may, on reasonable notice to the resident, inspect
the alarm system for the purpose of determining whether the system
continues to comply with the standards set forth in this chapter.
[Amended 6-11-2001 by L.L. No. 5-2001]
All alarm systems referred to in this chapter
shall, at the time of their installation and at all times that such
alarm systems shall be connected, directly or indirectly, to the Village
police office by telephone line, meet the following standards:
A.
All alarm systems must meet reasonable safety standards
such as those acceptable to Underwriters Laboratories or equivalent.
B.
Every alarm system capable of signaling as a burglar
alarm and a fire alarm shall be equipped with separate distinguishing
signals, as reasonably required by the Police Commissioner, to the
end that the appropriate authorities, upon receipt of a signal, may
immediately ascertain the nature and cause of the signal.
C.
Alarm systems equipped with automatic calling devices
shall be designed, installed or maintained to call only the number
or numbers designated for that purpose by the Police Commissioner
and shall be equipped so that no message will be repeated more than
three times.
D.
All alarm systems capable of emitting audible signals
shall be equipped with an operating device which will automatically,
by mechanical, electrical or other means, shut off such audible signal
after no more than 15 minutes of continuous sound audible beyond the
boundaries of the premises in which the alarm system is located.
Alarm systems installed or in use at the effective date of this chapter shall conform to the requirements of this chapter within 120 days after the effective date hereof. Residents shall apply for permits for such systems within 90 days of the effective date of this chapter. In the event of a failure of any system to comply with the provisions of this section or of § 82-5 of this chapter, the Village may, without further notice to the resident, disconnect such alarm system from the Village police office or telephone line.
A.
No owner or occupant of property shall suffer or permit
any alarm system installed upon such property to emit a sound audible
beyond the boundaries of said premises for a continuous period in
excess of 15 minutes in any one-hour period.
B.
In any case where the alarm system emits sound in
violation of the foregoing subsection, the operation or maintenance
of the alarm system shall be deemed to constitute the grant of permission
by the owners and occupants of the premises for law enforcement or
fire officials to disconnect the alarm system from the outside of
the premises or to enter the interior of said premises and investigate
and to disconnect and/or disarm the alarm system, either from the
interior or exterior of the premises.
C.
In the event that any alarm system is operated or
maintained in violation of this section, the owners and adult occupants
of the premises shall be guilty of a violation of this section and
subject to a penalty of $250 for each such violation.
[1]
Editor's Note: Section 1 of L.L. No. 4-1978
read as follows:
"The Board of Trustees hereby finds and declares
that the maintenance of audible alarm systems without adequate provision
for automatic shut off devices has resulted in incidents where such
alarms have emitted audible sounds for extended periods of time far
beyond that necessary to alert the appropriate authorities. Such continuous
or extended emission of sound has a disturbing and deleterious effect
upon the health, safety and general welfare of the neighbors of the
premises where such alarms are located, which effects are so severe
as to require remedial measures as set forth herein."
[Amended 6-11-2001 by L.L. No. 5-2001; 5-14-2012 by L.L. No. 7-2012]
A.
The term
"false alarm" as used herein shall mean any emergency message or signal
which is transmitted, directly or indirectly, to the Village police
office to which the Village police office or other emergency personnel
respond and which signal is not the result of a robbery, burglary,
other crime, fire or emergency. An activated alarm signal which is
promptly followed by a call to the police office properly notifying
the police that the signal is to be disregarded shall not constitute
a false alarm.
B.
Within 10
business days after written notification from the Village Clerk, any
property owner having an alarm system subject to any of the provisions
of this chapter shall pay to the Village of Great Neck Estates, for
each and every false alarm in any calendar year, a civil penalty as
follows:
(1)
First
or second false alarm in the first month after issuance of a permit
required pursuant to this chapter: no charge.
(2)
First
through fourth false alarm of each calendar year thereafter: no charge.
(3)
Fifth
through sixth false alarm in each such calendar year: $75 each.
(4)
Each
additional false alarm in each such calendar year: $100 each.
D.
In addition to any other penalty or remedy as provided
in this section, any person who shall fail or omit to pay any penalty
assessed or due as provided in this section shall be guilty of a violation,
and upon conviction thereof shall be punishable by a fine not less
than $150 nor more than $350 for each such violation. Each week that
a penalty assessed or due as provided in this section is not paid
shall constitute a separate violation.
[Added 4-13-2015 by L.L. No. 3-2015]