Chapter 9.28
FAULTY SECURITY SYSTEMS
Sections:
9.28.030 Public nuisance declared.
9.28.010 Findings.
The board of county commissioners makes the following findings with respect to the maintenance, installation and operation of faulty security systems:
A. Security and alarm systems when properly installed and maintained by reputable companies are of important assistance to law enforcement and a great benefit to the peace of mind of the citizens of Okanogan County and the protection of their personal safety and security of property.
B. There exist in Okanogan County security systems that are poorly designed, installed, or maintained such that they create false alarms and/or do not give proper alarms when the situation requires.
C. The causing of false alarms draws Okanogan County sheriff’s deputies and other agencies to premises where they are not needed because no security problem has been encountered.
D. When police must respond to false alarms, public safety is put at risk because officers cannot timely respond to real emergencies or breaches of the peace; law abiding citizens are put at risk when an officer reasonably, but falsely, believes that he is responding to a residential burglar or other intruder; and police resources in time, vehicle use, and money are wasted which could better be spent on serving the public and the taxpayer.
E. The burden of these costs should be borne by those who own or maintain faulty security systems and not by the public at large. (Ord. 96-13 § 1, 1996).
9.28.020 Definitions.
A. A “faulty security system” means an electronic security or alarm system which automatically summons emergency assistance when no emergency exists more than once in any 12-month period. The summoning of emergency assistance may be by automatic telephone call directly to a police agency or dispatch center, or security company which in turn contacts a police agency or dispatch center, or it may be by creation of loud sounds or noises which cause others to telephone police agencies.
B. A “security company” means any individual, corporation, partnership, firm, or other legal entity which designs, installs, or maintains electronic security systems, and/or operates a private communication center for receiving and transmitting emergency calls from private security systems.
C. A “per se faulty security system” means any security system that is designed, installed, maintained or monitored by a security company that has designed, installed, maintained or monitored four or more faulty security systems within the unincorporated areas of Okanogan County. Any response to a false alarm at such system shall be subject to penalties as set forth hereinbelow. (Ord. 96-13 § 2, 1996).
9.28.030 Public nuisance declared.
The ownership and/or operation of a faulty security system in the unincorporated areas of Okanogan County is declared to be a public nuisance. (Ord. 96-13 § 3, 1996).
9.28.040 Penalties.
Violation of this chapter shall constitute a civil infraction. Penalties shall be imposed according to the following schedule:
A. The first false alarm response to a security system shall not be subject to penalty unless it is a per se faulty security system as defined hereinabove.
B. The second response to a false alarm at a faulty security system or a per se faulty security system shall incur a charge of $50.00.
C. Each successive false alarm response after the second response to a faulty security system or a per se faulty security system shall incur a charge of $200.00.
D. Four or more false alarms from one security system within a 12-month period shall make the system subject to abatement by removal or permanent deactivation.
E. The nonpayment of penalties as set forth hereinabove shall make the system subject to abatement by removal or permanent deactivation. (Ord. 96-13 § 4, 1996).
9.28.050 State statutes.
Nothing in this chapter shall limit the sheriff’s or Okanogan County’s ability to enforce state criminal or civil nuisance statutes with respect to faulty security systems. (Ord. 96-13 § 5, 1996).