§ 10-21. Permit required; application; transferability; false statements.

(a)

A person commits an offense if he operates, or causes to be operated an alarm system without a valid alarm permit issued by the chief. An alarm permit is not valid if it has been denied or revoked, has not been renewed or has expired.

(b)

The chief shall refuse police response to any burglary alarm dispatch request from an alarm site where there is not a valid, unexpired or unrevoked alarm permit, unless a report to 911 or to the police department by a person other than an alarm installation company or monitoring company.

(c)

Upon receipt of the required administrative fee and completed application form, the chief shall issue an alarm permit unless:

(1)

There is cause to believe the equipment responsible for initiating an alarm will not be maintained and operated in accordance with this article;

(2)

The applicant will not comply with any provision of this article; or

(3)

A previous alarm permit was revoked or suspended after six or more false alarms during the preceding 12-month period.

(d)

Each alarm permit application must contain the following information and be complete, true and accurate in its entirety:

(1)

Name, address and telephone number of the person who will be responsible for the proper maintenance and operation of the alarm system and payment of fees assessed under this article;

(2)

Classification of the alarm site as either residential or commercial, including, where the alarm site is an apartment, the building number and the apartment number, if so numbered;

(3)

The purpose of the alarm system for each alarm system located at the alarm site, i.e., unauthorized intrusion, burglary, robbery, panic/duress, fire, medical;

(4)

The name and telephone number of the alarm system monitoring company that has agreed to receive calls for the permitted alarm system, if applicable;

(5)

At least one name and telephone number of contacts (responders) that are able to respond to the alarm premise within 45 minutes with a key or means of access to the location if needed by law enforcement; and

(6)

Other information required by the chief that is necessary for the enforcement of this article.

(e)

An alarm permit is nontransferable. However, the individual designated to respond to an alarm may be changed. A permit holder shall inform the chief in writing of any changes that alter information listed on the permit application, within two business days from the change. No fee will be assessed for such changes.

(f)

All application fees owed by an applicant must be paid before an alarm permit may be issued.

(g)

No application fee shall be required for an alarm permit obtained for an alarm system at a dwelling when the alarm site is determined by the chief to be occupied by a low-income family. In making such a determination, the chief shall consult applicable National Low-Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) standards of at or below 30 percent of the area median income as set forth on their website:

( http://www.nlihc.org/detail/article.cfm?article_id=2746&id=36 )

and may require the applicant to furnish appropriate documentation regarding household income.

(h)

No alarm permit shall be required for city, state, county and federal government entities.

(i)

Any false statement or misrepresentation of a material fact made by an applicant or person for the purpose of obtaining an alarm permit or renewal, or while making a change thereto, shall be sufficient cause for refusal to grant an alarm permit, suspension of an alarm permit or revocation of an alarm permit by the law enforcement authority.

(Ord. No. 2007-05-041, § 2(3.5-12), 5-1-2007; Ord. No. 2009-10-072, § 3, 10-6-2009; Ord. No. 2018-03-024, § 3, 3-20-2018)