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1. The alarm administrator will make a copy of the ordinance codified in this chapter and/or an ordinance summary sheet available to each alarm user when said user registers for a permit.
2. If the alarm administrator denies the issuance or renewal of a permit, or suspends or revokes a permit, a written notice of this action and a statement of the right to an appeal will be sent by certified mail to both the applicant or alarm user and the alarm business.
3. The communications center will properly record all alarm calls that come into the communications center and dispatch units to investigate the alarm call.
4. The communications center will have designated non-911 telephone lines available to the monitoring alarm businesses to receive calls or reports of alarm activation. Those lines will ring at the communications center and be monitored twenty-four hours a day.
5. The communications center will maintain a record of all alarm calls and the nature of the alarms including the number of false alarms, and accurate alarm dispositions.
6. The police unit will respond to the location of the alarm in a timely manner and investigate to determine if a crime has been committed, including robbery, burglary, attempted robbery or burglary, trespassing, etc. and properly note such findings on the alarm form.
7. If there are no signs that a crime has been committed the police unit will attempt to determine if the location of the alarm is secure and make the proper notification on the alarm form.
8. The police unit will make a determination on the scene of the alarm to determine if the alarm was a false alarm and properly note that on the alarm form and notify the communication center of the nature of the alarm when they leave the alarm site.
9. The police unit may or may not request that the alarm user respond to the scene of the alarm.
10. The police unit upon determining the alarm to be false will leave written notice at the alarm site that the Ankeny Police Department has responded to a false alarm dispatch. Copies of this notice will be placed in the case jacket and also given to the alarm administrator. The written notice shall include the following:
A. The date and time of law enforcement response to the false alarm;
B. The identification number of the responding law enforcement officer; and
C. A statement urging the alarm user to ensure that the alarm system is properly operated, inspected, and serviced in order to avoid false alarms and resulting service fees.
11. After three such false alarms, the alarm administrator will have the responsibility to notify the alarm user by registered mail that there have been three false alarms at said user’s alarm site and in the event that another false alarm occurs after delivery of notification, administrative fees as prescribed in Section 135.10 will be imposed.
12. The Police Department shall provide two false alarm education programs per calendar year, as needed. Each program shall inform alarm system users about alarm systems, false alarms, causes and impacts of false alarms, and how to reduce and eliminate false alarms.
If the alarm administrator determines that there is reason to believe that an alarm system is not being utilized or maintained in a manner that ensures proper operation and suppresses false alarms, the alarm administrator may request a conference with the alarm user. The alarm business responsible for the repair of said alarm system may be required to attend to review the circumstances of each false alarm.
The City assumes no responsibility or liability whatsoever for alarm systems installed or maintained by private individuals or privately operated alarm businesses, or for the quality of installation, maintenance, monitoring, type of equipment used or for the interruption of services being provided by said alarm businesses to the alarm users.
1. The number of false alarms allowed at an alarm site is enforced by the Ankeny Police Department.
2. The alarm administrator will issue annual alarm permits for a service fee.
3. An additional fee shall be assessed for an alarm system programmed with a duress, one-plus duress, or holdup alarm.
4. Alarm users who fail to register within thirty days of an alarm installation will be charged a late registration penalty.
5. Alarm permits must be renewed in the month of expiration and will require a renewal fee.
6. Renewals made more than thirty days after alarm permit expiration will be considered a violation of this chapter and an alarm user will be subject to a late penalty.
7. The alarm user shall be subject to service fees, warnings, and suspension or revocation of registration depending on the number of false alarms emitted from an alarm system within a twelve-month period from the permit date or its renewal based upon the following:
A. Any alarm user who receives one to three false alarms on a single alarm permit will receive a written notice from the alarm administrator.
B. Any alarm user who receives in excess of three false alarms on a single alarm permit will receive a written notice and an administrative service fee as prescribed below.
C. There will be a service fee for the fourth false alarm within a consecutive 365-day period. The alarm administrator shall waive the fee upon successful completion of a false alarm education program sanctioned by the Police Department.
D. There will be a service fee and suspension of the alarm permit for the fifth false alarm within a consecutive 365-day period.
E. There will be a service fee for the sixth and subsequent false alarms that occur within a consecutive 365-day period.
The alarm user will receive a written warning from the alarm administrator for each infraction listed above.
8. Alarm businesses shall be assessed a fee if the officer responding to the false alarm determines that an on-site employee of the alarm business directly caused the false alarm. In this situation, the false alarm will not be counted against the alarm user.
9. The alarm business shall be charged a fee if the alarm administrator determines that an alarm business employee knowingly made a false statement concerning the inspection of an alarm site or the performance of an alarm system.
10. The alarm business which monitors the alarm system shall be charged a fee for each failure to verify alarm system signals before contacting the law enforcement agency as specified in this chapter.
11. The alarm permit will be revoked if there has been a previous suspension and two additional false alarm responses within the same permit year.
12. An alarm permit that is revoked by the alarm administrator shall not be renewed or reinstated unless the alarm administrator is satisfied and has receipt of acceptable evidence that the cause has been addressed and appropriate corrective action has been taken as outlined in this chapter.
13. While the permit is revoked, the police shall only provide secondary response to that alarm site.
14. Anyone operating a non-permitted alarm system (i.e., revoked, suspended or never acquired) will be subject to a police citation and assessment for each false alarm dispatch; in addition, the user must apply for a permit within ten days. The alarm administrator may waive this additional assessment for a non-permitted system if the alarm user, after such violation, applies for a permit and registers to participate in a false alarm education program.
15. Each alarm user and/or alarm owner shall pay a fee to attend the false alarm education program.
16. An alarm user who operates an alarm system during the period in which said user’s alarm permit is suspended or revoked can be given a police citation for the offense.
17. If the alarm administrator assesses a fee or denies the issuance, renewal or reinstatement of an alarm permit, the alarm administrator shall send written notice of the action and a statement of the right to an appeal to either the affected applicant, or alarm user, and alarm business and/or alarm monitoring business.
18. The alarm user may request to appeal any false alarm and service fee by sending a written explanation for the appeal and an appeal fee.
19. A person commits an offense if said person violates by commission or omission any provision of this chapter that imposes upon such person a duty or responsibility and is subject to a fine.
20. The amount of all fees, assessments, penalties, and fines established by this chapter shall be set by resolution of the Council, after recommendation by the alarm administrator.
1. The alarm administrator may suspend alarm response if it is determined that:
A. The alarm user has five or more false alarms within a consecutive 365-day period; or
B. There is a false statement of a material fact in the application for a permit; or
C. The alarm user has failed to make a timely payment of a service fee or registration fee.
D. The alarm user has failed to submit a certification from an alarm business that complies with the requirements of this chapter stating that the alarm system has been inspected and repaired (if necessary) by the alarm business.
2. An alarm user commits an offense if he or she operates an alarm system during the period in which the alarm permit is revoked and is subject to enforcement and penalties.
3. An alarm business that monitors the alarm system commits an offense if it continues alarm dispatch requests to an alarm site after notification by the alarm administrator that the registration has been revoked and is subject to enforcement penalties.
4. The Police Department will provide secondary response to an alarm dispatch request at an alarm site for which the alarm permit has been revoked until after the alarm business has provided its own alarm response to the alarm site and has determined evidence of actual or attempted criminal activity.
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