New Burglar Alarm Ordinance Becomes Effective on November 8, 2004

Los Angeles: On Monday, November 8, 2004, the Ordinance portion of the Los Angeles Police Commission’s effort to change the way in which the LAPD responds to burglar alarms will go into effect. These changes were a result of the substantial drain of public safety resources caused by excessive false alarm calls in the City of Los Angeles. The Commission’s effort was two-pronged: a policy change which went into effect on January 1, 2004, and the Ordinance change which will go into effect on November 8, 2004.

New Burglar Alarm Policy and Ordinance quick facts:

Every alarm user in the City of Los Angeles needs to have a valid alarm permit which can be applied for on-line at www.lacity.org/finance/alarms, or by calling the Los Angeles Police Commission Alarms Unit at 213-485-2931.

The LAPD will respond to two unverified alarm calls per 12-month period. An unverified alarm call is when the alarm user, or a neighbor, or designated person has not independently verified that a security breech has occurred. Upon the third alarm call to LAPD Communications, verification will be required before a patrol unit is dispatched.

If the LAPD responds to an alarm call and it is deemed to be false, and the alarm user has an alarm permit, the fine is $115 for the first offense and an additional $50 will be added for each call thereafter within a 12-month period. For example, the first offense is $115, the second offense is $165, the third offense is $215, etc.

If the LAPD responds to an alarm call and it is deemed to be false, and the alarm user does not have an alarm permit, the fine is $115 for the first offense along with a $100 penalty. The penalty then grows by $100 for each false alarm call thereafter. For example, the first offense is $215, the second offense is $315, the third offense is $415, etc.

A false alarm offense, and the fines attached to that offense, may be removed from an alarm user’s record each 12 months by attending the Police Commission’s ” Alarm School.”