Oxnard Municipal Code Div. 4 Excessive False Alarms

(A) A false alarm generated by a security alarm system with two or more false alarms during a 12- month period is an excessive false alarm, and is a violation of this article.

(B) The excessive false alarm fees and penalties referred to in section 11-73 are civil penalties for which an alarm user is liable. If an alarm user does not timely pay the fees and penalties when billed in accordance with section 11-74.2, the city may recover such fees and penalties by any legally enforceable means.

(C) If an alarm user does not make payment within 60 days for excessive false alarm fees and penalties referred to in section 11-73 when billed in accordance with section 11-74.2, the city shall suspend the alarm user's permit.

(D) A suspension of an alarm user's permit includes the cessation of police responses to burglary alarm calls to a specified alarm site.

(1) Absent the alarm user's written request to their alarm service and the alarm administrator that indicates otherwise, the suspension of an alarm user's permit will not discontinue dispatch responses to the alarm site for robbery, panic, and duress alarms.

(2) All police alarm dispatch responses to the alarm site whose permit has been suspended shall be treated and fined as the equivalent of a response to an excessive false alarm, regardless of circumstance or call disposition.

(E) If a security alarm system generates five or more false alarms within a period of 12 consecutive months, the city may revoke the permit for the alarm system, regardless of whether or not the alarm user has made timely payment of excessive false alarm penalties.

(1) Absent the alarm user's written request to their alarm service and the alarm administrator that indicates otherwise, the revocation of an alarm user's permit will not discontinue dispatch responses to the alarm site for robbery, panic, and duress alarms.

(2) All police alarm dispatch responses to an alarm site whose permit has been revoked shall be treated and fined at an amount established by city council resolution, regardless of circumstance or call disposition.

(3) Revoked alarm permits that persist with five or more false alarms following the permit's revocation shall be deemed a nuisance, and may be abated at the alarm user's cost.

(F) Sections 11-72(A) and (B) shall apply to "monitor it yourself” alarm sites.

(Ord. 2951)

(A) Alarm related fees and penalties shall be established by city council resolution.

(B) An alarm user shall pay for each excessive false alarm, and its associated fees and penalties, the amounts of which are established by city council resolution.

(C) An alarm business shall pay fees and penalties established by city council resolution.

(1) A false alarm includes an alarm activation directly caused by an onsite employee of an alarm business.

(a) A false alarm directly caused by an onsite employee shall be counted toward the number of excessive false alarms against the alarm business, and not counted against the alarm user.

(b) The count toward the number of excessive false alarms against the alarm business is limited to the alarm site's location, and not count toward the overall operation of the alarm business.

(2) If a pattern of improper alarm call confirmation is established by an officer, the alarm business shall be issued a civil fine of $100 per occurrence for failure to follow the required alarm call confirmation procedures, as prescribed in section 11-64.1. Prior to the issuance of a civil fine, the alarm administrator shall first warn the alarm business in writing that improper alarm call confirmation was detected, cite the instance(s) in which the improper call confirmation occurred, and warn that additional lapses within 12 months of the warning may result in a civil fine.

(3) If an alarm business employee or alarm agent willfully makes a false statement concerning the inspection of an alarm site or the performance of an alarm system, the alarm business shall be issued a civil fine of $1,000 per occurrence.

(Ord. 2951)