Borough of Shrewsbury, NJ Chapter 59 Alarm Systems

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Shrewsbury 12-10-1984 by Ord. No. 519 (Ch. 16 of the 1973 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]

§ 59-1 Registration required.

A. Any person who desires to own, operate, lease or maintain an alarm system in the Borough of Shrewsbury shall file a registration application on the form provided by the Shrewsbury Police Department. The application shall contain the location of the alarm; the installer's name and address; the contact number for the central station to where the alarm is to be reported to; the type of device; information relating to false alarms and testing procedures; a list of names to be contacted in the event of an alarm, at least one of whom shall have an address and phone number different than the registrant's; and such other information as may be required by the Police Department. It shall be the registrant's obligation to file a written amendment with the Police Department within 10 days indicative of any changes contained in the present registration application.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).

B. The Police Department shall issue a registration certificate for the ownership, operation or maintenance of an alarm system to any person desiring to own, operate, lease or maintain an alarm system if the Police Department is satisfied that the registration information is complete and that the alarm system is capable of being operated in conformance with this chapter. The registration certificate may be granted subject to any special conditions stated thereon, if this is deemed necessary by the Police Department.

C. A registration certificate shall be valid for as long as the registrant occupies the premises for which the certificate has been issued, provided that all required amendments thereto have been filed. A registration certificate shall automatically terminate upon a change in occupancy for the premises for which the certificate was issued.

D. The Borough of Shrewsbury shall not charge any fee to any person filing a registration application or an amendment thereto.

§ 59-2 Applicability.

The provisions of this chapter shall apply to any person who owns, operates, leases or maintains any alarm system situated in the Borough of Shrewsbury if the alarm system has an audible signaling device or a device which requires a response by the Police Department, Fire Department, First Aid Squad or other Borough agency. The provisions of this chapter shall in no way prohibit service by a private source to persons within or without the Borough, so long as such activity is not in violation of this chapter, and provided further that any person owning, operating, leasing or maintaining a premises protected by an alarm system shall be responsible for the registration thereof in accordance with this chapter.

§ 59-3 Maintenance; malfunctions and disconnection.

All components of an alarm system shall be maintained in good repair and shall operate in a proper manner. When evidence exists that there has been failure to comply with the maintenance and operation requirements of this chapter, the Police Department shall then be authorized to demand that such alarm system be disconnected until such time as compliance with the provisions of this chapter has been established. The Police Department shall have the right to disconnect any malfunctioning equipment from any alarm system until such time as the malfunction has been corrected and the alarm system is operating in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

§ 59-4 Time limit for audible alarms.

All audible signaling devices shall be equipped with a timing device to limit the sounding of the signaling device to 15 minutes or less.

§ 59-5 Rule-making authority.

The Police Department shall have the authority to promulgate written rules and regulations and incorporate recommendations proposed by the Fire Department, First Aid Squad or other Borough agencies, subject to the approval by a resolution adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Shrewsbury, which rules and regulations shall supplement this chapter and provide for record-keeping and the efficient operation and management of alarm systems in the Borough of Shrewsbury.

§ 59-6 False alarms and penalties.

[Amended 3-14-1994 by Ord. No. 676]

A. In the case of a false alarm or of improper maintenance or operation of an alarm system, any person having knowledge thereof shall immediately notify the Police Department. The Police Department shall cause an investigation to be made of all false alarms and of all improper maintenance or operation of alarm systems and shall keep a record of such false alarms on file.

B. For such false alarms, this chapter prescribes the following penalties:

(1) For the first and second false alarm in any given calendar year, a warning shall be issued.

(2) For the third false alarm in the same calendar year, a fine not to exceed $25, plus court costs, shall be paid to the Borough.

(3) For the fourth or any subsequent false alarm in a calendar year, a fine not to exceed $50, plus court costs, shall be paid to the Borough.

C. Where the investigation of the Police Department discloses a continued disregard by the owner for taking remedial steps for avoiding false alarms or for continued failure to maintain or operate an alarm system, the Police Department shall have the right to require disconnection of the alarm system for a limited or permanent time, giving the owner an opportunity to show cause to the Police Department why such action should not be taken. A person aggrieved by the decision of the Police Department shall have the right to appeal said decision to the Mayor and Council within 10 days of the decision.

D. Any unauthorized equipment pertaining to an alarm system may be ordered to be disconnected by the Police Department for noncompliance with this chapter. Any placing, installing or maintaining of unauthorized equipment or failing to file a required registration application or amendment thereto shall be a violation of this chapter and shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $50, plus court costs, which shall be paid to the Borough. Each and every day that such equipment is installed or maintained shall be considered a separate violation. Any person placing, installing or maintaining any alarm system shall be deemed as having consented to inspection of the premises on which said alarm system is installed or maintained at reasonable hours by the Police Department.

E. Any act of God (i.e., flood, hurricane, earthquake, etc.) which affects the operation and performance of an approved alarm system shall, after such determination by the Police Department, not subject the owner, operator, lessee, or maintainer to any fine or penalty as herein prescribed in this chapter.

§ 59-7 Definitions.

As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

ALARM SYSTEM

Any device, such as a bell, siren, whistle, horn, gong or Klaxon, employed to call attention to or provide warning of intrusion by any person or by fire, smoke, flood or other peril, whether the same provides a visual or audio response, alarm or warning, if such warning is capable of being heard or received at any point beyond the interior walls of the house, apartment, office, store, industrial building or other structure in or on which the alarm system has been placed.[1]

PERSON

Any individual, person, firm, association, partnership, corporation, joint venture, society, club, trustee, trust or incorporated activity.

REGISTRANT

Any person owning, operating, leasing or maintaining an alarm system within the scope of this chapter, who has been issued a registration certificate to operate and maintain such alarm system.

[1] Editor's Note: The former definitions of "dial alarm" and "local alarm," which immediately followed this definition, were deleted at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).

§ 59-8 Interpretation, repealer and severability.

Except as the same may be clearly inconsistent herewith, this chapter shall not be deemed to repeal any ordinance, rule or regulation which regulates any activity in the Borough of Shrewsbury. All ordinances or parts of ordinances inconsistent with the terms of this chapter shall be and the same are hereby repealed to the extent of such inconsistencies. If any section or part of a section of this chapter is declared to be held illegal or unconstitutional, no other part of a section of this chapter or other ordinance shall be affected thereby, but the unconstitutional section or part thereof shall be rescinded and the remaining provisions of this chapter shall continue in full force.

§ 59-9 Violations and penalties.

Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to the penalties set forth in § 59-6 above in the discretion of the Judge of the Municipal Court.