This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the San Dimas
burglary and robbery alarm ordinance.
(Ord. 675 § 1, 1979)
The city council finds:
A.
The
majority of burglary and holdup alarms to which law enforcement responds
are false. Such false alarms result in an enormous waste of manpower.
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. 675 § 1, 1979)
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.
means the person who owns, leases, rents, uses or makes available
for use by his agents, employees, representatives or family, any 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 be damaged or disrupted
by the use of an alarm system are not included in this definition.
means a device designed to notify persons in the immediate
vicinity of the protected premises by emission of an audible sound
of an unauthorized entry on the premises or of the commission of an
unlawful act.
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.
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. 675 § 1, 1979)
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. 675 § 1, 1979)
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 thirty
minutes of its being activated.
(Ord. 675 § 1, 1979)
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.
(Ord. 675 § 1, 1979)
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 alarm. This
report shall be submitted within ten days of the date of request by
the sheriff.
(Ord. 675 § 1, 1979)
A.
An
alarm owner shall not operate an alarm system which generates more
than three false alarms in any twelve-month period. After the sheriff's
department responds to a second false alarm at one location, a written
report shall be submitted to the sheriff's department by the alarm
owner describing actions taken to eliminate the cause of the false
alarm. The alarm owner shall submit the report within twenty days
of the date requested by the sheriff's department. Failure to provide
such report is a violation of this chapter.
B.
In
addition to any other penalty or enforcement procedure provided in
this chapter, an alarm owner shall pay a service fee for each false
alarm in excess of three false alarms in any twelve-month period.
The amount of such fee shall be set by resolution of the city council.
(Ord. 675 § 1, 1979; Ord. 910 § 1, 1989)
The provisions of this chapter 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 the California Public Utilities Commission.
(Ord. 675 § 1, 1979)
A violation of any of the provisions in this chapter is a misdemeanor or an infraction, punishable as provided in Chapter 1.12.
(Ord. 675 § 2, 1979; Ord. 910 § 2, 1989; Ord. 922 § 2, 1990)
