Date: Fri 14-Feb-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: LIBRAR

Quick Words:

alarm-ordinance-council

Full Text:

Alarm Ordinance Hearing

The Legislative Council has set a public hearing on an amendment to the town's

alarm systems and users ordinance, to be held Wednesday, February 19, at 7:15

pm, in the middle school library, 11 Queen Street.

Late last year, the Ordinance Committee of the Legislative Council recommended

the passage of an alarm ordinance that would require a one-time fee to all

residents who own or plan to own a burglar alarm system. The ordinance would

also require fines to be handed out to repeat false-alarm offenders by the

Board of Selectmen. An appeals board would be set up to allow residents to

challenge their fines.

The Ordinance Committee took up the ordinance at the request of local law

enforcement officials who in recent years have seen the number of false alarms

in Newtown increase significantly. Last year, the town received 2,223 burglar

alarms for homes and businesses, of which 11 were actual burglaries. The rest

were false alarms.

The Newtown Police Department would be responsible for the administration of

the ordinance.