Village of Great Neck Estates, NY Chapter 82 Alarm Systems

[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.]

§ 82-1 Title and purpose.

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.

§ 82-2 Definitions and word usage.

A. For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

ALARM SYSTEM

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.

§ 82-3 Permit required.

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.

§ 82-4 Application for permits; issuance.

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.

§ 82-5 Standards for alarm systems.

[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.

§ 82-6 Existing alarm systems.

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.

§ 82-7 Audible alarms.

[Amended 10-5-1978 by L.L. No. 4-1978;[1] 6-11-2001 by L.L. No. 5-2001]

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."

§ 82-8 False alarms.

[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.

C. The Board of Trustees, acting by resolution, may from time to time amend the foregoing schedule of civil penalties.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: Former § 34-9, Penalties for offenses, which immediately followed this section, was repealed 3-10-1997 by L.L. No. 3-1997. See now § 1-1.

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]