(A) Excessive false alarms. It is hereby found and determined that four or more false alarms within any 12-month period is excessive and constitutes a public nuisance. (Only one false alarm per calendar day will be assessed for each alarm system, upon finding common cause. COMMON CAUSE is defined as a technical difficulty or malfunction causing the system to generate a series of false alarms, all of which occurs within a calendar day. The series of false alarms shall be counted as one false alarm only if the cause of the series of alarms is repaired before generating additional false alarms during the next 24-hour calendar day.)
(B) Civil penalties.
(1) (a) All excessive false alarms within a 12-month period shall be charged the fines and charges set out below, which shall be considered a bill owed by the alarm user to the county and may be collected from the alarm user as a civil penalty. Each service charge incurred for false alarms at the premises shall be paid within 30 days from the date of receipt of the invoice. Failure to pay any such charge, bill or fee shall result in discontinuance of Sheriff's Office response.
(b) Eligibility for Sheriff's Office response to alarm calls will be made upon receipt of any prior unpaid, civil penalties assessed pursuant to this section and receipt of the applicable charges as set forth below:
Number of False Alarms | Penalty |
4th through 5th | $25 per occurrence |
6th through 8th | $50 per occurrence |
9th through 11th | $100 per occurrence |
12th or more | $200 per occurrence |
(C) Year. For the purposes of this section, a year shall mean a 12-month period beginning on January 1 and ending on December 31.
(D) Discontinuance of Sheriff's Office response. The failure of an alarm user to make payment of any service charge imposed under this section within 30 days from the date of receipt on invoice shall result in discontinuance of Sheriff's Office response to alarms that may occur at the premises described, until payment is received. (With exception of receiving a separate indication that there is a crime or incident in progress the premises, requiring a Sheriff's Office response such as holdup alarm; panic alarm; duress alarm; or other alarm indicating an authorized person(s) is on the premises and intentionally activating the alarm to cause a Sheriff's Office response.)
(E) Responsibility to pay service fees or penalties subject to this section shall be the responsibility of the alarm subscriber or alarm user, jointly and severally. The owner of a proprietor alarm shall be solely responsible.
(F) Penalty. Any violation of this section shall be subject to the penalties as described in § 90.99 herein.
(Ord. passed 11-5-2012; Ord. passed 3-21-2022)