[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Colts
Neck: Art. I, 2-23-1984 (Ch. 2A of the 1969 Code). Amendments noted where
applicable.]
[Adopted 2-23-1984 (Ch.
2A of the 1969 Code)]
There is hereby established within the Township of Colts Neck in the
County of Monmouth and the State of New Jersey a False Alarm Code, which shall
govern the maintenance and sounding of such alarms. All owners and occupants
of residential, commercial and/or business properties maintaining an alarm
device shall take all required steps to see to it that such device is maintained
in a good and satisfactory fashion. The sounding of false alarms as hereinafter
set forth shall be deemed evidence of a failure on the part of such owner
and/or occupant to so maintain the alarm device.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
Any alarm-activated equipment which is intended to provide warning
of burglaries, unauthorized entry, fire, flood or like peril. An alarm device
shall include but not be limited to those devices which transmit directly
or indirectly to a central agency such as the Police or the Fire Department.
The activation of an alarm device causing the transmission of the
warning, either directly or indirectly, to a central agency of the Township
of Colts Neck as above noted. Such transmission shall include but not be limited
to those devices wired directly to the responding agency, those devices wired
to a third party which then transmits the message to the Police or Fire Department
and/or those devices which sound a warning heard outside of the subject premises
which results in a call to the Fire Department and/or Police Department. An
alarm shall be determined to be falsely given when an investigation reveals
that such alarm was transmitted as a result of the failure of the owner or
occupant to properly maintain the equipment, as a result of carelessness or
negligence, as a result of malicious action or as the result of a power failure.
An alarm shall be deemed to be falsely given when the responding agency determines,
upon investigation in the case of a fire alarm, that no evidence existed to
establish that a fire was in progress when the alarm was activated; for the
case of a burglar alarm, a false alarm shall be deemed to have been given
when the responding agency determines that no unauthorized person attempted
to gain entry to the premises in question.
[Amended 3-10-1993]
The Chief of Police or specified designee of the Township of Colts Neck
or his or her designee shall investigate the causes for the activation of
a burglar alarm. If the investigation reveals that such alarm was falsely
given, then the Chief of Police or specified designee shall correspond with
the owner and/or occupant of the residence or commercial, business or industrial
establishment, advising of the alarm and the results of his or her investigation
and warning that subsequent violations may cause the owner or occupant to
be subject to a fine.
[Amended 3-10-1993]
In the case of fire alarms, the Fire Chief of the Township of Colts
Neck or Police Chief of the Township of Colts Neck or their respective designees
shall investigate the causes for the activation of a fire alarm. If the investigation
reveals that such alarm was falsely given, then the Police Chief or his or
her designee shall correspond with the owner and/or occupant of the residence,
commercial, business or industrial establishment, advising of the alarm and
the results of his or her investigation and warning that subsequent violations
may cause the owner or occupant to be subject to a fine.
[Amended 3-10-1993; 10-8-1997; 8-13-2003]
A.
Such written warnings as set forth in § 70-3 and § 70-4 shall be given to owners or occupants of residences and commercial, business and/or industrial establishments within the Township of Colts Neck for the first and second false alarm in the same calendar year. In the event that a third false alarm is given as a result of action or inaction at such premises, then the owner and/or occupant shall be subject to a fine of $100. For the fourth and subsequent false alarm(s) given in the same calendar year, the owner or occupant shall be subject to a fine of $200.
B.
No violation shall be assessed to any owner or person
that maintains an alarm system as provided for and defined herein during the
first 30 days of installation and actuation.
C.
It shall be unlawful for an alarm device, dial alarm
or other audible alarm to ring or put forth any other sound for a period in
excess of 15 minutes. Any such occurrence shall result in a penalty of $50
for each violation assessed by the Chief of Police.
D.
A violation of any provision of this article shall be punishable as provided in § 1-9 of this Code.
[Amended 3-8-2006]
E.
This section shall become effective on January 1, 2004.
[Added 3-10-1993]
Any violator may appeal the assessment of a fee charge to the Township
Administrator, in writing, within seven days of the assessment of the fee.
Thereafter, the decision of the Township Administrator shall be final.
