Alarm Program and Permits Ordinance
The Town of Gilbert Alarm Ordinance can be found in the Town Code Article III. Offenses Involving Public Peace and Order, Division 2. Alarm Systems. The ordinance was approved by the Town Council in 1993, with the intention of encouraging the improvement in the reliability of alarm systems, and to ensure that police department personnel will not be unduly diverted from responding to actual criminal activity as a result of responding to false alarms. All monitored and non-monitored alarm systems are subject to the requirements and provisions of this ordinance.
Sec. 42-80. Alarm user permit.
(a) Required; application; fee; transferal; validity. Every alarm user shall obtain an alarm user permit from the coordinator for each alarm or alarm system. The application for an alarm user's permit shall be made on a form approved by the coordinator and shall be accompanied by a one-time $10.00 permit fee. An alarm user's permit shall be available within the premises protected by the alarm and shall be available for inspection by the coordinator. Permits are not transferable from one user to another user or from one address to another address. An alarm user permit shall be valid for a period of two years and shall be renewed every two years, accompanied by a $10 renewal fee upon written notification of the coordinator. An assessment of $25.00 shall be imposed along with the $10 renewal feefor failure to renew within 30 days of the notification.
(b) Exemption for persons over 65. If a residential alarm user is over the age of 65 and is the primary resident of the residence, and, if no business is conducted in the residence, a user permit may be obtained from the coordinator's office without the payment of a fee.
(c) Fee for failure to obtain. Except as provided in subsection (a) of this section, a $25.00 fee shall be charged in addition to the $10.00 fee if an alarm user fails to obtain a permit prior to placing an alarm or alarm system in operation.
Sec. 42-79. Alarm proprietor's duties.
The duties of an alarm proprietor shall be as follows:
(1) To maintain the alarm or alarm system in good working order and take reasonable measures to prevent the occurrence of false alarms.
(2) Upon the purchase of any alarm system device or service which includes an audible alarm to:
a. Obtain a permit from the coordinator as provided in section 42-80.
b. Notify the coordinator of the name, address and telephone number of the primary person and at least one alternate who should be notified when the alarm is activated.
c. Inactivate or cause to be inactivated the alarm system within 15 minutes of notification of its activation.
(3) Instruct all persons who are authorized to place the system or device into operation in the appropriate method of operation.
(4) Inform persons who are authorized to place the alarm system into operation of the provisions of this division emphasizing the importance of avoiding false alarms. A current copy of the provisions of this division shall be maintained on the premises and be made available to persons who are authorized to place an alarm system into operation.
Sec. 42-82. False alarms; assessments and permit revocation.
(b) Police review of false alarms.
(1) Any alarm system which has three or more false alarms within the permit year shall be subject to assessment as provided in this subsection.
(2) If the police department records three or more false alarms within the permit year:
a. The coordinator shall notify the alarm user by certified mail of such fact and direct that a report be submitted to the coordinator within ten days of the date of the notice.
d. If the coordinator determines that the action taken or to be taken will not substantially reduce the likelihood of false alarms or that a defense to the initial determination of false alarms has not been alleged or accepted, a notice shall be sent by certified mail to the alarm user that they will be assessed a false alarm assessment pursuant to subsection (b)(2)e of this section. The notice of decision shall contain the specific findings and conclusions of the coordinator with respect to the review of the report submitted.
e. Assessments imposed pursuant to subsections (b)(2)b and (b)(2)d of this section shall be in an amount of $50.00 per false alarm upon the third false alarm; $100 per false alarm upon the fourth false alarm; $150 per false alarm upon the fifth false alarm; $200 per false alarm upon the sixth false alarm; $250 per false alarm upon the seventh false alarm; $300 per false alarm upon the eighth false alarm; $350 per false alarm upon the ninth false alarm; $400 per false alarm upon the tenth false alarm and any subsequent false alarm within a permit year. The alarm user shall be responsible for the immediate payment of assessments.
f. If the alarm user fails to pay the assessment within the time provided after receipt of written notification from the coordinator as provided in this section, the coordinator may summarily revoke the alarm user's permit.
g. An alarm user whose permit has been revoked shall be furnished written notification by certified mail of such revocation and shall within five business days after the issuance of such written notification discontinue the use of the alarm system with respect to which a permit has been revoked.
h. Notice shall be considered issued on the date the notice is mailed by certified mail addressed to the alarm user at the address furnished to the coordinator in connection with a permit application or at such other address as the alarm user may furnish in writing to the coordinator.
i. An alarm user whose alarm user permit has been revoked may have it reinstated by paying all overdue assessments, submitting a corrective report detailing the corrective action taken with proof of inspection for malfunctions attached and paying a $25.00 reinstatement fee.
j. In addition to these remedies, the town may also bring an action for an injunction to prohibit use in the superior court with all costs of such suit to be borne by the alarm user.
Sec 42-84. Confidentiality of information supplied by user.
The information furnished by an alarm user to the coordinator pursuant to this division shall be confidential and shall not be subject to public inspection.
ALARM PROGRAM 2009
Alarm calls: Alarm calls took a decrease from 8,212 calls in 2008 to 7,359 calls in 2009. It is believed part of the reason we have seen a decrease in the number of alarm calls received by the Gilbert Police Department is our pro-active approach to false alarms. We have provided False Alarm Awareness classes and provided literature regarding false alarm issues and prevention.
False Alarms: During the 2009 calendar year Gilbert Police received 7,359 calls for alarms. Those alarms resulted in 5,292 being cancelled, 21 were there was actual crime occurred. The actual false alarms responded to by Gilbert Police were 5,094. This equals approximately 14 false alarm calls per day or 425 alarm calls per month. During 2009 approximately 1,517 of man hours were utilized responding to false alarm calls where no crime had occurred.
Alarm User Permits: The Gilbert Police Alarm Unit issued 1,841 new alarm user permits. As of December 2009 the Gilbert Police Alarm Unit manages approximately 11,400 active alarm permit accounts. Alarm Permit Form (Instructions for completing Alarm Permit Form)
Alarm Renewals: Alarm renewals are mailed out 30 days in advance of the expiration date. Alarm permits remain active for two years and must be renewed prior to expiration. Permit renewals require a $10.00 fee to accompany the renewal unless the permit holder or member of the household is 65 years or older. The permit system is kept current by purging expired permits and when notified by the permit holder or after two attempts to notify the permitted and no correspondence is received by the alarm unit.
Alarm Ordinance: False Alarm fee schedule. The first two false alarms during a calendar year are free. The third false alarm is $50.00; the fourth false alarm is $100.00; the fifth false alarm is $150.00; the sixth false alarm is $200.00; the seventh false alarm is $250.00; the eighth false alarm is $300.00; the ninth false alarm is $350.00; the tenth and consecutive false alarms are $400.00 each. An alarm permit that has been revoked requires the alarm user to discontinue the alarm system within five business days.
False Alarm Prevention: The majority of false alarms are caused by user error. Alarm users can help to reduce false alarms by:
- Make sure that everyone that uses an alarm system is familiar with how the system works.
- Check windows and doors before activating on the alarm system.
- Be aware of changes in the environment: (animals, design changes, seasonal decorations, plants, balloons, windows, signs, curtains, and human error).
- Notify monitoring facility of any changes in personal or work being done in or around the area being protected by the alarm system.
- Equipment should be routinely inspected, batteries changed and the system maintained by a qualified technician.