Los Angeles County Municipal Code Ch. 13.05 Burglar and Robbery Alarms

The ordinance codified in this chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "county burglar and robbery alarm ordinance."

(Ord. 11821 § 2 (Art. 1 § 101), 1978.)

The board of supervisors of the county of Los Angeles finds:

A.

The majority of burglar and holdup alarms to which law enforcement responds are false. Such false alarms result in an enormous waste of manpower; and that there are such a large percentage of false alarms as may lull law enforcement officers into a sense of false security. In responding to an alarm, they will probably assume it is a false alarm and may be wounded or killed by criminals at the location.

B.

Alarm systems which automatically and directly dial any emergency phone number are very prone to be activated by current failures or other events having no connection with criminal activity and tie up such emergency phones making them unavailable to receive genuine emergency calls.

C.

The danger to citizens through emergency response created by false alarms is unnecessary and hazardous.

D.

The unnecessary waste of tax dollars through responses to false alarms must be eliminated.

E.

False burglar and holdup alarms have created conditions causing danger and annoyance to the general public.

(Ord. 11821 § 2 (Art. 2 § 201), 1978.)

As used in this chapter, the words hereinafter defined are used as so defined unless it is apparent from the context that a different meaning is intended.

A.

"Alarm owner" means the person who owns, leases, rents, uses or makes available for use by his agents, employees, representatives or family, any alarm system.

B.

"Alarm system" means any device, whether known as a burglary, robbery or intrusion alarm, direct-dial telephone device, audible or silent alarm, or by any other name, which is used for the detection of an unauthorized entry into a building, structure or facility, or to signal the commission of an unlawful act. It shall include those devices which emit a signal within the protected premises only, are supervised by the proprietor of the premises where located, and are otherwise known as "proprietary alarm systems." Auxiliary devices installed by a telephone company to protect telephone company systems which might by damaged or disrupted by the use of an alarm system are not included in this definition.

C.

"Audible alarm" means a device designed to notify persons in the immediate vicinity of a protected premises, by emission of an audible sound, of an unauthorized entry on the premises or of the commission of an unlawful act.

D.

"Direct-dial device" means a device which is connected to a telephone line and upon activation of an alarm system, automatically dials a predetermined telephone number and transmits a message or signal indicating a need for emergency response.

E.

"False alarm" means an alarm signal activated by causes other than the commission or attempted commission of an unlawful act which the alarm system is designed to detect. An alarm signal activated by violent conditions of nature or other

extraordinary circumstances not subject to the control of the alarm owner shall not constitute a false alarm.

(Ord. 11821 § 2 (Art. 3 §§ 301—306), 1978.)

For every audible alarm, the alarm owner thereof shall post the names and telephone numbers of persons to be notified to render repairs or service during any hour of the day or night during which the audible alarm is operated. An audible alarm shall terminate its operation or the audible alarm shall automatically reset within 30 minutes of its being activated.

(Ord. 11821 § 2 (Art. 4 § 402), 1978.)

No person shall use any alarm system which is equipped with a direct-dial device, and which when activated, automatically dials any telephone number in any office of the sheriff.

(Ord. 11821 § 2 (Art. 4 § 401), 1978.)

A.

A person shall not knowingly turn in a false alarm. This section does not prohibit a test of an alarm system as permitted in advance by the sheriff.

B.

Violation of this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $500.00, or by imprisonment in the County Jail for a period not to exceed six months.

(Ord. 83-0066 § 87, 1983: Ord. 11821 § 2 (Art. 4 § 403), 1978.)

After any false alarm, the alarm owner shall, upon request by the sheriff, submit a written report to the sheriff describing actions taken or to be taken to eliminate the cause of the false alarms. This report shall be submitted within 10 days of the date of request by the sheriff.

(Ord. 11821 § 2 (Art. 4 § 404), 1978.)

An alarm owner shall not operate an alarm system which generates more than three false alarms in any 12-month period.

(Ord. 11821 § 2 (Art. 4 § 405), 1978.)

The provisions of Sections 13.05.040 through 13.05.080 are not applicable to audible alarms affixed to motor vehicles or to a public telephone utility whose only duty is to furnish telephone service pursuant to tariffs on file with California Public Utilities Commission.

(Ord. 11821 § 2 (Art. 4 § 406), 1978.)

Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter other than Section 13.05.060 is guilty of an infraction, which is punishable by a fine not exceeding $250.00.

(Ord. 83-0066 § 88, 1983: Ord. 11821 § 2 (Art. 5 § 501), 1978.)

Violations of this chapter may be prosecuted in the same manner as any other infraction. However, upon the first violation of Section 13.05.080, the sheriff shall serve a written notice on the violator describing the violation and specifying that the causes of the violation shall be corrected within 10 days of the date of service of the written notice. No further action shall be taken, provided that the sheriff determines that the causes of the violation have been removed or fully corrected within the time period specified in this section.

(Ord. 83-0066 § 88, 1983: Ord. 11821 § 2 (Art. 5 § 502), 1978.)

If any provision or clause of the ordinance codified in this chapter, or application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the ordinance which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of the ordinance are declared to be severable.

(Ord. 11821 § 2 (Art. 5 § 503), 1978.)