Inglewood Municipal Code § 8-65 Alarm System. Permit Required

It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, corporation or other entity to install or maintain, or cause to be installed or maintained, on any premises under his control a functioning subscriber or proprietor alarm system without having obtained a written permit from the Permits and Licenses Committee pursuant to Sections 8-27 through 8-53.2 of this Code. Each such permit issued shall be valid for one calendar year.

Said permit may be applied for by an alarm business or agent servicing said premises. No such permit shall be issued or renewed until the applicant files with the Committee written certification executed by an alarm agent stating that said agent has personally inspected the alarm system and that it conforms to the provisions of this Code and all applicable regulations. The fee for renewal applications shall be $15.

(Ord. 2351 8-7-79; Ord. 2391 12-9-80; Ord. 2453 9-20-83)

The Police Chief may prescribe minimum standards and regulations for the design, construction and maintenance of all alarm systems installed within the City. The standards and regulations shall become effective upon adoption thereof by resolution of the City Council. All alarm systems shall meet or exceed such standards and regulations before permits may be issued pursuant to this ordinance. The Police Chief may require inspection and approval of all alarm systems installed within the City.

(Ord. 2351 8-7-79)

When a subscriber alarm system has been activated, the alarm business which owns, leases or maintains such a system shall have an alarm agent present at the location within one hour after being requested to do so by an officer of the Inglewood Police Department.

When a proprietor alarm system has been activated, the owner or other person in responsible control of the location wherein such system is located shall be present at such location within one hour after being requested to do so by an officer of the Inglewood Police Department.

At every audible alarm system location, a notice shall be prominently posted so as to be visible from the nearest street or public passageway indicating the telephone number of the person or persons to be notified to render repairs or service and to secure the premises during any hour of the day or night during which the system may be activated.

(Ord. 2351 8-7-79)

It shall be unlawful for any person to install or maintain any audible alarm system which creates a sound similar to that of an emergency vehicle siren or civil defense warning system.

(Ord. 2351 8-7-79)

The foregoing sections are not applicable to:

(1) Audible alarms affixed to motor vehicles;

(2) Fire alarms and fire and police call boxes;

(3) A public telephone utility whose only function is to furnish telephone service pursuant to tariffs on file with the California Public Utilities Commission;

(4) Devices installed by a telephone company to protect its own systems;

(5) Alarm systems which protect property of the City and other public property;

(6) Persons or firms engaged solely in the manufacture or sale of alarm system components from a fixed location and who do not install, maintain, service or plan the alarm system for a specific location; and

(7) Alarm systems which do not alert law enforcement agencies or others outside the protected facilities.

(Ord. 2351 8-7-79)

It shall be unlawful for any person except a public utility engaged in the business of providing communications services and facilities to use or operate, attempt to use or operate, or cause to be used or operated, or arrange, adjust, program or otherwise provide or to install any alarm system that will upon activation, either mechanically, electronically or by other automatic means, initiate an intrastate call and deliver a recorded message to any telephone number assigned to any subscriber by a public telephone company, without the prior written consent of such subscriber.

(Ord. 2351 8-7-79)

In addition to the grounds for revocation set forth in Sections 8-46 and 8-47 of this Code, any alarm permit may be revoked on any one of the following grounds:

(1) More than four false alarms from a given location during any calendar year.

(2) Use or installation of any alarm system at such location not conforming to the provisions of this Code or the regulations prescribed pursuant to Section 8.65.1 of this Code.

(3) Failure to pay any false alarm service charge pursuant to Section 8-65.8.

(4) Failure to comply with the certification requirements of Section 8-65.9.

(Ord. 2351 8-7-79)

It shall be unlawful to cause or create a false alarm. This shall not be deemed to prohibit brief test of an audible alarm system without having obtained permission from the Police Department or test of other alarm systems with advance permission of the Police Department.

(Ord. 2189 7-2-74; Ord. 2351 8-7-79)

A service charge of Fifty dollars shall be paid to the City by each alarm system permittee not exempt as provided by Section 8-65.4 of this Chapter for the third response by the Police Department to a false alarm within a calendar year. In the event of a fourth response during a calendar year, the permittee shall be charged Seventy-five dollars and upon the fifth and all subsequent responses within a calendar year the required charge shall be One hundred dollars.

(Ord. 2351 8-7-79; Ord. 93-07 4-20-93)

Upon installation of any alarm system within the City, the installing company shall cause the system to be thoroughly inspected and the subscriber to be instructed in the operation and use of said system. Within 30 days after said installation, the installing company shall certify in writing on forms provided by the Inglewood Police Department that the installed system is in proper functioning order, that it in all ways complies with the relevant sections of the Inglewood Municipal Code, and that the subscriber has been instructed as required.

(Ord. 2258 6-29-76; Ord. 2351 8-7-79)