[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council of the Township of Cedar
Grove 2-7-1983 by Ord. No. 83-191. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Fees for burglar alarms — See Ch. 119, 119-3C(6).
Exception from noise regulations — See Ch. 176.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY
General power to adopt police ordinances — See N.J.S.A.
40:69A-29.
The Township Council of the Township of Cedar Grove finds that the existence
within the Township of external audible alarm systems which do not contain
automatic shutoff systems permits the continuing emission of loud alarm signals
without termination and that, in the event of unavailability of those able
to control and terminate the alarm, persons in the vicinity are exposed to
these loud noises for lengthy and indefinite periods without means of obtaining
relief; that this condition is inimical to the public health and welfare and
to the well-being of persons within the Township; and that lengthy emission
of alarm signals is not necessary to the legitimate purposes of the property
owner or occupant. The Township Council further finds that many residents
and commercial entities have installed burglar, fire and other warning devices
within their residence or buildings, and that false alarms from said devices
requiring a response cause unnecessary expense and the unproductive diversion
of personnel and equipment from their public safety function within the Township.
The purpose of this chapter is to establish regulations concerning the
operation and maintenance of certain alarm systems within the Township of
Cedar Grove and to provide penalties for violations of any of the provisions
set forth herein.
For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:
The control panels in police headquarters giving alarm indications
and locations.
Any type of alarm-actuating equipment which provides warning of intrusion,
fire, smoke, burglary, flood, or like peril, including a direct alarm, dial
alarm or local alarm.
The installation in or on one or more buildings of one or more alarm
devices.
That type of device which employs an automatic dialing system, precoded,
to connect with a telephone in police headquarters.
An alarm device which has a direct line to an alarm console.
The activation of an alarm system where an emergency does not exist.
False alarms will not include: activations caused by public utility interruptions
where such interruptions have been reported to the police; or those activations
caused by a natural disaster or a malfunction of the Police Department equipment;
or those activations caused by testing or repair of the system, provided that
the Police Department has been notified before such tests or repairs commence;
for an activation which is immediately followed by a telephone call to the
Police Department from the owner, or the owner's agent, properly notifying
the police that the activated alarm signal is to be disregarded.
[Amended 10-1-1984 by Ord.
No. 84-226]
Any alarm device, other than a direct alarm or dial alarm, which
when activated, produces an external emergency signal.
Any natural person, partnership or corporation, limited partnership,
association, business, club or organization.
All persons responsible for an alarm system within the Township shall
notify the Police Department before tests or repairs of the system commence
and after completion of the same.
All persons that own, maintain or have on their property an alarm system
within the Township shall notify the Police Department, in writing and on
forms available at police headquarters, of the location of any alarm device
so owned or operated, the type of device, the name and address and telephone
number of at least two persons who can be reached in case of an emergency
or malfunction of the alarm device in order that the device can be shut off
or temporarily disconnected. In the event of any change in the provided information,
the person responsible for the device shall submit to the Police Department,
in writing, such revised information within 30 days of any such change.
Any connection to the police alarm console shall be of a type inspected
and approved by the contractor servicing the police alarm console at the time
of installation of the alarm device. It is the responsibility of the person
causing the alarm device to be installed to arrange with the approved contractor
the connection fees and charges shall be available at police headquarters.
The Township of Cedar Grove and the Cedar Grove Board of Education shall not
be charged with console connection or console maintenance fees.
All dial alarms shall conform with the following:
A.
Dial alarms shall be coded to select a special number
assigned by the Police Department. No such device shall dial any other telephone
number on the police switchboard.
B.
Prerecorded messages must be approved by the Chief of
Police, or his designee, as to content, clarity, length and the number of
times the message is to be repeated.
C.
The device shall be provided with an automatic line seizure
feature in the event that the assigned telephone line is busy with another
call.
D.
All such devices shall be capable of being disconnected
by the owner to permit a call to the police switchboard in the event of a
false alarm.
E.
All components of such equipment must be maintained,
by the owner or operator, in good repair.
F.
The owner or operator shall pay to the Township of Cedar
Grove a fee to be established annually by resolution of the Township Council
sufficient to amortize the cost of the special telephone line or lines required
by these devices. Such fee shall be paid not later than January 15 for each
calendar year or any part thereof. In the event that installation of the system
is made during a calendar year, payment of the fee shall be made at or before
time of installation and shall be prorated on a monthly basis.
G.
In the event that a person responsible for such device
fails to comply with the requirements of this section relating to dial alarms,
the Chief of Police, or his designee, shall issue a written demand to the
person responsible for such device that the above requirements be complied
with. Such demand shall specify the areas of noncompliance. Failure of such
person to comply with such demand within 10 days of the mailing of such written
notification shall be deemed a violation of this chapter, for which such person
shall pay a penalty of $5 for each day of noncompliance after such ten-day
period.
All external audible alarms shall be equipped with a timing device that
will automatically silence the external audible alarm within 15 minutes after
it is activated.
[Amended 10-1-1984 by Ord.
No. 84-226]
The Police Department shall cause a record to be made of all false alarms.
In any calendar year, the following penalties shall apply to the person responsible
for any alarm device:
A.
For the first and second false alarms, a written warning
shall be issued.
B.
For the third and fourth false alarm, there shall be
imposed a fine of $35 for each such false alarm.
[Amended 4-21-2003 by Ord. No. 03-591]
C.
For the fifth through ninth false alarms, there shall
be imposed a fine of $100 for each such false alarm. For the tenth and subsequent
false alarms, there shall be imposed a fine of $150 for each such false alarm.
In addition, an investigation shall be conducted by the Police Department
as to the cause of such continued false alarms, and upon a finding by the
Police Department that there has been abuse or neglect in the operation or
maintenance of any such alarm system and a failure to take remedial steps
to avoid false alarms, the Chief of Police, or his designee, may require that
the alarm device, in the event of a direct alarm or dial alarm, be disconnected
from police headquarters for a limited or permanent time. No such disconnection
shall be made without giving the owner or operator of the alarm device at
least 10 days notice, in writing, of such intended disconnection, in order
to allow such person to appeal such determination to the Township Council
in order to show cause why such action should not be taken. In the event that
such appeal is filed with the Township Council within such ten-day period,
in writing, the Township Council shall hold a public hearing with reference
to the matter, and no disconnection shall be made until the appeal is decided
by that body.
[Amended 4-21-2003 by Ord. No. 03-591]
The provisions of this chapter shall apply to alarm systems placed in
service prior to or subsequent to the effective date of this chapter; provided,
however, that the owners or operators of existing alarm devices shall have
30 days from the effective date of this chapter to provide to the Police Department
the information required by this chapter and shall have 120 days from the
effective date of this chapter to equip any nonconforming audible alarm device
with the automatic silencing mechanism required.
[Amended 10-1-1984 by Ord.
No. 84-226]
This chapter shall be enforceable in the Municipal Court of the Township
of Cedar Grove. Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter,
except those providing for a specific penalty, shall, for each offense, be
subject to a fine of not more than $1,000. Each incident shall be considered
a separate violation.
