(a) No penalty shall be assessed for the first false alarm from an alarm system during the calendar year. Thereafter, the alarm user shall pay a penalty for each subsequent false alarm from the same alarm system during the calendar year, based upon the following schedule:
Number of False Alarms | Penalties |
1 | no penalty |
2 | $100 |
3 | $150 per alarm |
4 | $200 per alarm |
5 | $250 per alarm |
(b) In addition to the penalties provided in subsection (a), any person operating a non-licensed alarm system will be subject to a penalty of $100, as well as a penalty of $250 for each false alarm, including the first false alarm during the calendar year. A non-licensed alarm system includes a system for which a license has not been obtained or for which a license has been suspended or revoked. The Tax Collector may waive the first $100 penalty for a non-licensed system if the alarm user submits an application for alarm license (or for reinstatement of a license) within ten (10) days after notification of such violation.
(c) If cancellation occurs prior to the Police Department arriving at the scene, the Tax Collector may determine that the cancellation will not be counted as a false alarm for the purpose of assessing penalties.
(d) The alarm installation company will be subject to a penalty of $250 if the officer responding to the false alarm determines that an on-site employee of the alarm installation company directly caused the false alarm. In this situation, the false alarm will not be counted against the alarm user.
(e) The monitoring company will be issued a penalty of $250 for each failure to verify alarm system signals as specified in Section 3710(h)(2).
(f) The alarm installation or monitoring company will be issued a penalty of $500 if the Tax Collector determines that an alarm installation or monitoring company employee knowingly made a false statement relating to its duties and obligations under this Article, including but not limited to statements concerning the inspection of an alarm site or the performance of an alarm system.
(g) Any penalty imposed under this Section shall be subject to the collection and enforcement provisions of Sections 3710.5 and 3718, including late payment penalties and accrual of interest. The Tax Collector may enforce the provisions of this Article by administrative citation, as provided in Sections 6.19-3 et seq. of the Business and Tax Regulations Code.
(Added by Ord. 154-02, File No. 021078, App. 7/12/2002; amended by Ord. 30-03, File No. 021995, App. 2/28/2003; Ord. 175-13
, File No. 130551, App. 8/2/2013, Eff. 9/1/2013)