HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD 80-116 ORDINANCE NO. �
ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE GOVERNING POLICE
RESPONSE TO CERTAIN BURGLARY AND ROBBERY
ALARMS; DEFINING TERMS; REQUIRING CERTAIN
INFORMATION BE PROVIDED TO POLICE BY
CERTAIN ALARM BUSINESSES; PROHIBITING
MISUSE OF ALARM SYSTEMS; PROHIBITING
CERTAIN AUDIBLE ALARMS; PROHIBITING
DELINQUENCY IN THE PAYMENT OF ANY FEES
DUE AND PAYABLE BY ALARM BUSINESS;
PROHIBITING EXTENDED OPERATION OF
CERTAIN AUDIBLE ALARMS; PROVIDING FOR
SERVICE CHARGES FOR ANSWERING EXCESS
ALARMS SIGNALING BURGLARY OR OTHER
UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY ON PREMISES; PROVIDING
FOR SERVICE CHARGES FOR ANSWERING EXCESS
ALARMS SIGNALING ROBBERY OR THE COMMISSION
OF AN UNLAWFUL ACT; PROVIDING FOR A PENALTY;
PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE; PROVIDING
FOR SEVERABILITY.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF BEAUMONT:
SECTION 1. Definitions.
As used in this Chapter, the following words and
phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by
this section:
(a) "Alarm System" shall mean any device designed
and manufactured for the detection of an
unauthorized entry on premises or for
alerting others of the commission of an
unlawful act, or both, and which, when
actuated, causes a sound or transmits a
signal or message remotely to an answering
service or other similar monitoring station,
but shall not include privately owned alarms
operated and monitored solely by the owner
thereof or his designee.
(b) "Alarm Business" shall mean any person, firm,
corporation, or other entity in the business
of leasing , maintaining , servicing , repairing ,
altering , replacing , moving, or installing ,
any police alarm system or causing to be
maintained , serviced, repaired, altered,
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replaced, moved, or installed any police alarm
system in or on any building, place or premises.
( c) "Alarm Agent" shall mean any person who is
employed by an alarm business, either directly
or indirectly, including the owner, or in the
case of a corporation, the officers whose duties
include any of the following : selling , maintain-
ing , leasing , servicing , repairing , altering ,
replacing , moving, or installing on any building ,
place or premises any police alarm system.
(d) "Alarm User" shall mean any person, firm,
corporation or other entity which owns,
possesses, or leases a police alarm system.
(e) "Excess alarms signaling a burglary or
unauthorized entry" shall mean those alarms in
excess of nine signaled from the same user 's
premises by the same alarm system within any
calendar quarter; but not including such alarms
signaled within the first fifteen (15 ) days after
an original installation of said system or a
major component thereof.
( f) "Excess alarms signaling a robbery or the
commission of an unlawful act" shall mean those
alarms in excess of three signaled from the same
user' s premises by the same alarm system within
any calendar quarter , but not including such
alarms signaled within the first five (5 ) days
after an original installation of said system or
a major component thereof.
(g ) "Person" shall mean any individual, partnership,
corporation, or other entity.
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(h) "Calendar quarter" shall mean either January
through March, April through June, July through
September, or October through December of any
calendar year.
SECTION 2. Reporting Servicing Information.
Each alarm business shall maintain a current information
card with the Police Department, containing its name, address and
telephone number, a list of its alarm users, and the name, address
and telephone number of a person or persons who can render service
to its equipment at any hour of the day or night. Each alarm
business or alarm agent shall immediately inform the Chief of
Police of any and all changes in the information on file with the
Police Department.
SECTION 3. Prohibitions.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to
intentionally or knowingly activate or cause to
be activated any alarm system for the ultimate
purpose of summoning police except in the event
of what is reasonably believed to be an unlawful
act and/or an unauthorized entry on premises
which the alarm system is designed to detect.
Whenever an alarm system has been designed
and commonly understood to alert others of the
commission of a particular crime, it shall be
unlawful for anyone to activate such alarm
system for the purpose of summoning police except
in the event of what is reasonably believed to be
such particular crime.
( b) It shall be unlawful for any alarm business to
use, operate, maintain, or repair alarm system
which, upon activation, emits a sound similar to
sirens in use on emergency vehicles or currently
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used by civil defense authorities for disaster
alert purposes, after 15 days notice to such
business that such alarm system has been
disapproved by the Chief of Police.
(c) It shall be unlawful for an alarm business to
become more than sixty (60) days delinquent in
the payment of any service charges due and
payable under Section 4 hereof. Each day of
such delinquency shall constitute a separate
offense.
(d) It shall be unlawful for any person owning,
possessing , or operating an audible alarm
system, which, when actuated, sounds a bell ,
whistle, siren, horn, or other similar sound, to
permit or allow said alarm to emit such sound for
a period in excess of twenty (20) continuous minutes.
SECTION 4. Service Charges.
Each alarm business shall pay to the City of Beaumont a
service charge for excess alarms from the same user' s premises
signaled by equipment owned, leased , serviced or monitored by
said business to which police respond, according to the following
schedule.
A. $25.00 for each excess alarm signaling a
burglary or unauthorized entry provided,
however, that such fee is not due and
payable when unauthorized entry upon the
alarm user's premises has been verified
by the alarm user, alarm agent before the
police are summoned to the premises;
B . $50.00 for each excess alarm signaling a
robbery the commission of an unlawful
act.
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SECTION 5. Penalty.
Any person violating any of the provisions or
requirements of this article shall be deemed guilty of a
misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be fined as provided in
Section 1-8 of this Code for each offense.
SECTION 6. Effective Date.
This ordinance shall become effective January 1, 1981.
SECTION 7. Severability.
If any section of this Chapter , or any part thereof,
shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be
invalid , such judgment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the
remainder of any other section or part thereof.
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL of the City of Beaumont this
the o2::5-4 d ay of n �>AP ��?� , 1980.
Mayor -
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