posted on Friday, July 11, 2008 3:29 PM
by
klehan
Hamburg, NJ, Considers Alarm Law - Fines Set by Judges Case-by-Case
The borough of Hamburg,
NJ, wants to stop false alarms.
Hamburg Police Chief Jan Wright said the number of false alarms the police respond to
prompted him to take action.
An ordinance was introduced at the July 7 municipal meeting to establish standards and
regulations for the installation, operation and maintenance of household and business
alarm systems in Hamburg.
According to Township Attorney Richard Clemack, the ordinance would require that
residents and businesses register their alarms with the borough police department; false
alarms could result in “very severe penalties.”
Not only have the numbers of false alarms increased, but many times the emergency
notification does not specify what type of emergency has occurred. “If we don’t have an
emergency contact person or know who lives at the residence or what type of emergency, we
have to dispatch all emergency services, which are a big drain on our resources,” added
Wright.
Hamburg may not be the only borough experiencing a rise in false alarm dispatches, but it
appears to be one of the very few area towns that does not have a law in place. According
to municipal Web sites, neighboring towns including Vernon, Franklin, Hardyston, Randolph
and Wantage all have adopted similar ordinances.
After the Aug. 4 second and final reading to adopt the ordinance, new Hamburg residents
and businesses will be provided with registration papers through the town. Chief Wright
plans on having police visit all those currently known to have unregistered alarms to
provide them with registration forms.
Although the fines can be steep, Wright says his department plans to start with an
understanding one-strike policy. “We want to include something that allows for one false
alarm before issuing a summons,” he said.
Attorney Clemack added that fine amounts will be determined on a case by case basis and
will be at the discretion of the municipal judge.
Further clarification of what exactly constitutes a false alarm will be provided with the
fully adopted ordinance, Wright said. As with any other issued summons, however,
violators have the right to plead not guilty and appear in court if they believe there is
sufficient evidence to prove that the alarm dispatch was not falsely triggered.