ORDINANCE _________________

AN ORDINANCE relating to alarm systems; modifying penalty provisions; and amending Section 6.10.100 of the Seattle Municipal Code.

WHEREAS, costs associated with responding to monitored false alarms create a burden on the Seattle Police Department and impair the Department's ability to provide police protection and services to the people of the City of Seattle; and

WHEREAS, Section 10.08.140 defines two types of police alarm systems, specifically automatic property or burglar alarms (hereinafter, property alarms) and human-activated panic or robbery alarms (hereinafter, panic alarms); and

WHEREAS, the Department has used the 'No Response' provisions of Section 10.08.178 of the Seattle Municipal Code for addressing the problem of false property alarms but has no such recourse where false panic alarms are involved; and

WHEREAS, the false alarm rate for both property and panic alarms is distressingly high in excess of 97 percent; and

WHEREAS, in order to recover City costs and help address the burden of responding to false alarms with alarm fees charged, while encouraging the reduction of the number of false alarms, the City has recognized the need to adjust the fee schedule for both property and panic alarms; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. Section 6.10.100 of the Seattle Municipal Code is hereby amended as follows:

6.10.100 Penalty for false alarms.

A. The sending of an alarm by an alarm system monitoring company, which results in the

dispatch of the police and subsequent arrival by the police at the alarm site shall be subject to a

false alarm fee (( of Ninety Dollars ($90.00) )) whenever there is no evidence of a crime or other

activity that would warrant a call for police assistance or investigation at the premises; provided

however, that no false alarm fee shall be assessed if any individual who was on or near the

premises, or who had viewed a video communication from the premises, called for the dispatch

and confirmed a need for police response. False alarm fees shall be imposed as follows:

1. For each false property alarm -$115;

2. For each false panic alarm -$230.

B. In the event that police were dispatched to the premises and such dispatch was subsequently

cancelled prior to the police officer(s) arrival at the alarm site, the alarm system monitoring

company shall be subject to a false alarm fee of (( Thirty Dollars ( ))$30 (( ) )).

Section 2. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force 30 days from and after its approval by the Mayor, but if not approved and returned by the Mayor within ten days after presentation, it shall take effect as provided by Seattle Municipal Code Section 1.04.020.

Passed by the City Council the ____ day of ________________________, 2010, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its passage this

_____ day of ___________________, 2010.

_________________________________

President __________of the City Council

Approved by me this ____ day of _____________________, 2010.

_________________________________

Michael McGinn, Mayor

Filed by me this ____ day of __________________________, 2010.

____________________________________

City Clerk

(Seal)

Michael A. Quinn SPD Alarm Fee Revision ORD August 24, 2010 Version #4