Sec. 168.108. - False Alarms; Prohibited Acts; Enforcement of Provisions.

(a) Responsibility for false alarms under this Chapter shall be borne by the Alarm User. For each response by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office to any false alarm, any violation shall constitute a Class D offense against the City as follows: (1) It is hereby found and determined that three or more false alarms within a permit year is excessive, constitutes a public nuisance, and shall be unlawful. Civil penalties for false alarms within a permit year shall be assessed against an Alarm User. (2) Each and every response to premises during any permit year where there have already occurred two responses to false alarms during that same period, shall be deemed to constitute a violation of this Chapter and shall be punishable by a civil penalty. False alarm fines will be assessed as follows: Number of False Alarms Fines 1st Offense in any one calendar year No Charge 2nd Offense in any one calendar year No Charge 3rd Offense in any one calendar year $50 4th Offense in any one calendar year $100 5th Offense in any one calendar year $150 6th Offense in any one calendar year $250 7th Offense or more in any one calendar year No Response by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office EXCEPT in the case of a panic or robbery-in-progress alarm ($250 fine will continue to apply to false panic or robbery-in-progress alarms)   (b) It shall be unlawful to activate an Alarm System for the purpose of summoning law enforcement when no burglary, robbery, or other crime against life or property is being committed or attempted on the premises, or otherwise to cause a false alarm. Alarm Users will be issued a notice of alarm violation for officers dispatched to this type of false alarm. (c) It shall be unlawful to install, maintain, or use an audible alarm system which can sound continually for more than 15 minutes. (d) It shall be unlawful to install, maintain, or use an automatic dial protection device that reports, or causes to be reported, any recorded message to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. (e) Other civil penalties and violations will be enforced through the assessment of civil penalties established by the Jacksonville City Council. (f) Payment of civil penalties shall be paid within 30 days from the date of the invoice. (g) The failure of an Alarm User to make payment of any civil penalty assessed under this Chapter within 30 days from the date of the invoice shall result in discontinuance of law enforcement response to alarm signals that may occur at the premises described in the Alarm User's permit until payment is received. In addition, failure to register and obtain a permit may result in no law enforcement response to an unregistered alarm. (h) A violation of any of the provisions of this subsection shall be a civil violation and shall not constitute a criminal offense. (Ord. 2016-562-E , § 2)