(a) A valid alarm permit issued by the chief of police is required if a permit holder operates or causes to operate an alarm system and the permit holder desires to receive police response to an alarm site. A separate permit is required for each alarm site.
(b) The chief shall refuse police response to any alarm notification from an alarm site that does not have a valid alarm permit unless the alarm notification is a duress alarm, a hold-up alarm, a panic alarm or a report to 911 emergency telephone or to the police department by a person other than an alarm company.
(c) The fee for annual permit, an annual permit renewal or a permit reinstatement for all alarm permits is specified in § 2-321 of the City Code.
(d) Each permit issued pursuant to this chapter shall be valid for a 12-month period for the date of issuance as indicated on the permit. No refund of a permit, permit renewal or permit reinstatement fee will be made.
(e) A tenant of a multifamily dwelling, apartment building or apartment complex desiring police response for an alarm notification is required obtain a valid alarm permit from the chief before operating or causing the operating of an alarms system in the tenant’s residential unit.
(f) The owner or property manager of an apartment complex desiring police response for an alarm notification is required to obtain separate valid alarm permits for any alarm system operated in a nonresidential area of the apartment building or apartment complex, including, but not limited to, common tenant areas, office, storage and equipment areas.
(g) Within 30 days of receipt of a completed application form and the required fee, the chief shall issue an alarm permit to an applicant unless the applicant has failed to pay a service fee or has had an alarm permit revoked, and the violation causing the revocation has not been corrected.
(h) An alarm permit cannot be transferred to another person or to alarm system except by authorization of the chief.
(i) A permit holder shall inform the chief of any change that alters any information listed on the permit application within two business days. No fee will be assessed for such changes.
(j) A permit holder shall cancel a permit for any alarm system which is removed from an alarm site or which otherwise ceases to come under the permitting requirements of this chapter. Cancellation may be accomplished by returning the permit to the chief.
(k) All fees owed by an applicant must be paid before a permit may be issued or renewed.
(l) No permit fee shall be required for a permit obtained for an alarm system at a one-family or two-family dwelling when the alarm site is determined by the chief to be occupied by a low-income family. In making such determination, the chief shall consult applicable United States government guidelines for housing and other assistance, and may require the applicant to furnish appropriate documentation regarding household income.
(m) No permit shall be required of state and federal governmental entities.
(Ord. 15750, § 1, passed 11-18-2003; Ord. 16908, § 2, passed 4-25-2006; Ord. 23383-09-2018, § 2, passed 9-18-2018, eff. 10-1-20188; Ord. 23820-09-2019, § 2, passed 9-10-2019, eff. 10-1-2019)