Stanislaus County Municipal Code Ch. 9.40 Alarm Systems

For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms are defined:

A. "Alarm system" means any mechanical or electrical device which is intended to alert others to the commission of an unlawful act, including the unauthorized entry into a building or facility, and which emits a sound or transmits a signal or message when activated. The following shall not be included within this definition:

1. Devices which are not designed or used to register alarms that are audible, visible or perceptible outside of the protected building or facility;

2. Auxiliary devices installed by the telephone company to protect telephone company systems which might be damaged or disrupted by the use of a conventional alarm system;

3. Fire alarms.

B. "Defective alarm system" means an alarm system which signals more than three false alarms in a thirty-day period or six false alarms in a one-hundred-eight-day period, or an alarm system for which the information required by Section 9.40.020 has not been submitted.

C. "Department" means the sheriff's department, county of Stanislaus.

D. "False alarm" means any activation of an alarm system causing response by the department when no unauthorized entry or other unlawful act has been committed. The determination of whether or not an unlawful act has been committed shall be made by the department.

E. "Owner" means any person who owns, operates, or maintains an alarm system and includes a person designated by the owner to represent him for the purposes of this chapter.

F. "Person" means any individual, firm, partnership, association, or corporation.

(Prior code §3-50)

A. A security alarm company or any other person who installs or operates an alarm system on property located in the unincorporated area of the county shall register such alarm system with the department. Registration shall be accomplished before the alarm system is activated. The following information will be furnished to the department when registering the alarm system:

Alarm location; name of the owner; home telephone number and business telephone number of the owner; type of alarm system; and names and telephone numbers of two persons authorized to shut off the alarm signal.

B. In the event an alarm system is not registered as required by this section, the alarm system shall be considered to be defective and alarms signaled by such system shall be treated in the manner provided by Section 9.40.040.

C. Each alarm system shall be registered on an annual basis upon the anniversary date of the initial registration.

(Prior code §3-51; Ord. 929 §1(part), 1980; Ord. CS 400 §1, 1990)

A. It is unlawful for any person to activate any alarm system for the purpose of summoning law enforcement officers when immediate response to an emergency situation is not required.

B. It is unlawful for any person to set or use an alarm system which he knows has been found to be defective as defined in this chapter, or which he knows is likely to signal a false alarm.

(Prior code §3-52)

A. Alarms signaled by a defective alarm system shall be presumed to be false alarms and the department shall make no response to such alarms unless there is other evidence that an unlawful act has been committed. A defective alarm system shall be presumed to continue to be defective until the owner demonstrates to the satisfaction of the department that the defect has been corrected.

B. To guarantee that the alarm system is no longer defective and will be properly maintained, the sum of sixty dollars shall be deposited with the department prior to reinstatement of regular response to alarms signaled by that alarm system. If the corrected alarm system signals more than three false alarms in a ninety-day period after reinstatement, the alarm system shall again be presumed to be defective and the cash deposit shall be forfeited to the county as compensation for services rendered in responding to false alarms. If three or less false alarms are signaled in a ninety-day period after reinstatement, one-half of the deposit shall be returned. The other one-half will be forfeited to the county to offset the additional monitoring expenses incurred during the course of the ninety-day reinstatement period.

(Prior code §3-53; Ord. 929 §1(part), 1980; Ord. CS 400 §2, 1990)

The department shall notify the owner, or his representative, of a defective alarm system of the following: (A) the time and date of each false alarm from which it has been determined that the alarm system is defective; (B) that the department will not respond to further alarms signaled by the defective alarm system; (c) an explanation of the actions necessary by the owner to obtain regular response to alarms signaled by the alarm system. The notification shall be in writing and shall be served upon the owner by delivering a copy to him personally or by mailing a copy to the address provided pursuant to Section 9.40.020.

(Prior code §3-54)

No person shall use or operate, attempt to use or operate, or cause to be used or operated any device or combination of devices that is arranged, adjusted, or programmed so that it will upon activation, either mechanically, electronically, or by other automatic means, initiate, call, and deliver a recorded message to the 911 emergency number or to any telephone number assigned to the county by a public telephone company, without the prior written consent of the director of communications, county of Stanislaus; nor shall any person so arrange, adjust or program such devices without such permission. The term "telephone number" includes any additional numbers assigned by a public telephone company to be used by means of a rotary or other system to connect with a primary telephone number when the primary number is in use.

(Ord. CS 49 §1, 1984)

The board of supervisors may establish, by resolution, an annual fee for the registration of alarms. Failure to pay the required annual fee will cause the alarm to be deemed defective and treated in the manner provided for in Section 9.40.040.

(Ord. CS 400 §3, 1990)