§ 8.02.080. Appropriating public police services for private purposes subject to cost recovery fees.

A.

Causing police to engage in a false alarm response constitutes an appropriation of public police services for private purposes and is subject to a cost recovery fee.

B.

The alarm user is responsible for payment of his permit and cost recovery fees.

C.

When, in the opinion of the responding police officer(s), an alarm dispatch request can be reasonably associated with an actual or attempted criminal offense at the involved alarm site, the alarm is valid and the response is considered a basic police service not subject to cost recovery fees.

1.

The following actions constitute use of an alarm system that improperly appropriates police services for private purposes and are subject to cost recover fees:

2.

Activating an alarm system with the intent to report:

a.

Suspicious circumstances;

b.

Any non-criminal incident; or

c.

A need for fire, medical or other non-police services; or

D.

When, in the opinion of the responding police officer(s), an alarm dispatch request can be reasonably attributed to an earthquake, hurricane, tornado or other unusually violent act of nature, a cost recovery fee shall be not assessed.

E.

When, in the opinion of the responding police officer(s), an alarm dispatch request cannot be reasonably attributed to the conditions described in Subsections C. or D. of this Section, the incident is a false alarm and the police officer response is considered an appropriation of public police services for private purposes that is subject to cost recovery.

F.

When the responding officer(s) is (are) unable to determine if an alarm is valid or false because of inaccessibility of the alarm site, the response is presumed to be a false alarm response, and is subject to cost recovery fees (see Section 8.02.010).

G.

The cost recovery fees for appropriating public police services for private purposes are listed in the City master fee schedule.

H.

Cost recovery fees are assessed based on the response requested. For example, an alarm dispatch request reporting a robbery alarm is subject to the false alarm penalty fee applicable to robbery false alarm responses, even if the alarm activation should properly have been reported as a burglary alarm.

I.

All fees are due and payable upon receipt of invoice.

(Ord. No. 12969, § 4, 7-28-2009)