Police
Arlington Virginia Police False Alarm Enforcement Office
Documents
- Inspection Certificate (352K PDF Format)
- Upgrade Certificate(352K PDF Format)
Background
- Arlington County Police respond to over 11,000 alarm calls a year.
- Less than 1% of those calls are for legitimate problems and are, in essence, "false alarms."
- Alarm legislation addresses concerns over police officer safety and helps eliminate the misuse of police resources.
- Unfounded alarm calls reduce the police department's effectiveness and undermine our ability to respond to more critical calls.
False Alarm Unit
The False Alarm Unit (FAU) of the Arlington County Police Department
- Administers and enforces the County's alarm ordinance.
- Reduces the number of false alarms to which the police respond each year.
- Registers alarm users, sends notification of false alarms and bills for excessive false alarms to alarm users.
- Ensures that the appropriate inspections (352K PDF Format) and upgrades (352K PDF Format) of alarm systems occur.
What Is a False Alarm?
The ordinance defines a false alarm as
- Any alarm signal, that elicits a response by police personnel for which there is no evidence of criminal activity to justify a police response.
- This means that if a police officer responds to an alarm signal and, after investigation, finds no evidence that criminal activity either had occurred or was occurring, the officer will designate the alarm signal as a false alarm.
- A false alarm may be caused by factors such as human error or equipment malfunction.
- False alarms shall not include police response to an alarm signal that is cancelled by the alarm user or his agent prior to the arrival of police personnel at the alarm location.
Alarm User Registration
- Every security alarm system must be registered with the police department. Registration does not apply to either fire or car alarm systems.
- Your alarm/monitoring company or the FAU can provide you with alarm registration information at the time of sale or installation.
- If you do not have an alarm/monitoring company, you may obtain registration information directly from the FAU.
- A non-refundable, one-time $30.00 registration fee must be paid with each commercial registration; residential registration is free.
- A separate registration is required for each tenant of a multi-tenant residential or commercial building using an alarm system.
- The owner or property manager of an apartment complex that provides alarm systems as an amenity must obtain a separate registration for each individual unit. The fee shall be one (1) dollar per unit, but in no case shall it be less than $30.00.
- Alarm registrations are not transferable from one alarm user to another or from one location to another. However, if you change alarm companies, mailing address, or contact person information, you are not required to re-register your alarm system. You are required to advise the FAU in writing of said changes.
- You and/or your alarm company must notify the FAU when there is a relocation or change in ownership. The old registration must be cancelled and a new one issued.
What Your Alarm Company Should Do For You
In an effort to reduce false alarms, your alarm company is required by law to take certain proactive measures:
- Your alarm/monitoring company must attempt to verify every alarm signal except for hold-up alarms before requesting that police be dispatched.
- If it is determined that an alarm signal is false, your alarm/monitoring company must immediately attempt to cancel the police dispatch. You cannot personally cancel a police dispatch unless you initiated the call.
- Your alarm company must not request police dispatch to an alarm activation until the alarm system is properly registered.
- When you have a new alarm system installed in your home or business, your alarm company should provide you with a completed and signed installation certificate. This certificate affirms that:
- The system meets or exceeds installation standards.
- All persons responsible for the operation of the system have been fully trained on its proper use.
- The alarm business has explained the requirements for registration and has provided the alarm user with a copy of the registration form.
How the Law Works
Every alarm user is allowed two "free" false alarms per calculated 12-month period (period starts with the date of registration or first false alarm).
On the third false alarm in this calculated period, two things may happen.
- 1. The alarm user may be required to have the alarm system inspected at their expense, providing proof of the inspection to the Police Department within thirty days of the request.
- 2. When an alarm user has three false alarms in a calculated period, false alarm response fees are imposed
False Alarm Response Fee Schedule
The response fee begins at $100.00 for the third false alarm. The response fees will escalate gradually to $400.00 for the eighth (8th) false alarm response. For the ninth and each additional alarm thereafter, the response fee will be $500.00 per false alarm.
Below are fees charged to alarm users for police response to false alarm activations. Fees apply only if the police are dispatch to the alarm location and the signal is false.
| Response | Cost |
|---|---|
| First | FREE |
| Second | FREE |
| Third | $100.00 |
| Fourth | $150.00 |
| Fifth | $200.00 |
| Sixth | $250.00 |
| Seventh | $300.00 |
| Eighth | $400.00 |
| Ninth and each response thereafter | $500.00 |
The fee schedule is based on a 12 month calculation period. The 12 month calculation period means the 12 month period of time commencing with the date of registration issuance or the date of the first false alarm response (for non-registered alarm systems).
On the eighth false alarm in a calculated 12 month period, the alarm user must have the alarm upgraded to meet current County installation standards.
You will be considered in violation of the alarm ordinance if you fail to:
- Register your alarm system.
- Pay assessed false alarm fees.
- Inspect or upgrade the alarm system as required.
ON THIS PAGE
Background
False Alarm Unit
What is a false alarm?
Alarm user registration
What your alarm company should do your you
How the law works
False Alarm Response Fee Schedule
