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El Cerrito, CA, Passes New Alarm Ordinance

Repeated false burglar alarms in El Cerrito, CA, could cost their owners up to $500 per day under a new city law.

Owners will be required to register systems with the police within four months, although full penalties for noncompliance will not apply until 2011.

The City Council replaced its old alarm ordinance Monday at the request of police Chief Scott Kirkland, who reported that the city has averaged nearly 41/2 false alarm responses a day for the past four years. At roughly 45 minutes per response, the time wasted is the same as losing one officer from patrols for six months per year.

But that estimate is conservative because alarms require an initial two-officer response, Lt. Robert De La Campa told the council. And officers can't leave a property unsecured, so often they wait until an owner or representative arrives to secure it, which can take hours.

The new ordinance creates a database of alarm systems in the city with up-to-date owner contact information, and sets penalties for two or more false alarms in a year, along with listing requirements for alarm companies installing or monitoring systems.

The ordinance was written with advice from the East Bay Alarm Association, and two alarm industry spokesmen were on hand to endorse it.

"This is a model ordinance applying best practices to prevent false alarms from occurring in the first place," said Jon Sargent of ADT Security Systems.

Registering with police costs $26, re-registering every two years $15; failing to register will cost $100. Alarm users must keep contact information current; failure to do so can cost $15.

One false alarm carries no penalty; two through five in a year cost $74 each. Beyond five, the fee is $158 each, up to $500 per day. If an unregistered alarm system is discovered, it will cost the owner $100. The police chief can revoke false registrations.

The law applies to all alarm owners, residential, commercial or industrial, whether using a simple bell alarm or a company-monitored system, De La Campa said.

The ordinance sets requirements for commercial alarm installers and monitors as well, including properly training owners on their use and installing only industry-standard control panels.

Certain systems that cause excessive false alarms, such as doorbell-type single-alarm buttons and automatic voice dialers, will be prohibited.

Alarm monitoring companies must contact police at designated numbers, only after verifying the alarm, except for holdup and panic alarms, and continue supplying information for police to dispatch the call.

They need to have a designated point person for police and must supply a list of El Cerrito customers.

The ordinance puts the city in line with neighboring Albany, Berkeley, San Pablo and Richmond, which have had similar laws for years.

Gene Go of the Crime Prevention Committee asked the council to delay adopting the ordinance because it includes in-house bell alarms.

"We need more education in the community about alarm systems," he said. "It will take time for people to get up to speed."

The ordinance will have final passage in 30 days, after which alarm owners have 90 days to register.

The city will notify all residents by mail. Nonregis