Alarms

Alarm owners must purchase an alarm permit before installing or using an alarm system. Information provided with the permit helps officers respond to your alarm and supports the Alarm Reduction Program to reduce false alarms.

  • Businesses: Renew alarm permits annually.
  • Homeowners: Renew alarm permits every three years.
  • Renewal notices are mailed to alarm owners in November, before the permit expires in December. The renewal fee is due by December 31.
  • The alarm user's permit is authorized under the Stockton Municipal Code, Section 8.44, Intrusion Detection Devices and Burglar Alarm Systems.

 

Alarm Ordinance Compliance

  • Alarm owners with a chronic false alarm problem may be placed on police department's non-response list or have alarm permit revoked.
  • Alarm must have a battery backup system, capable of powering alarm for at least two hours.
  • It is unlawful to own an alarm that rings for more than 20 minutes or sounds like police siren.
  • Operating an alarm without a permit may result in a fee of $347.

 

Alarm Permit Application

Residential and Commercial Permits

  • First-time permit - $71.50
  • Renewal - $31.50

Failure to Respond to Alarm within 20 Minutes of Notification

  • $103.75 service fee each time

Direct Activation of an Alarm

  • $110. service fee for each alarm activation if emergency does not exist i.e., meaning the commission of a felony crime

Excessive False Alarms

  • $110. for each false alarm in excess of two in any consecutive 90-day period.

Alarm activation without Valid Permit on File

  • May be billed $347. service fee per incident

For questions, please call the Stockton Police Department, Alarm Reduction Unit at (209) 937-8615.

 

 

Police Response to Alarms

 

Police response to alarms depend on your alarm company and/or the monitoring station's procedures. Before the Police Department is contacted by your alarm company or monitoring station, one of the following must apply to your alarm activation:

  • Video verification (VV) where a video signal is sent to the alarm company and there is visual evidence of possible criminal activity at the premises.
  • Listen-In or audio technology is employed and the alarm monitoring operator hears evidence that there is potential criminal activity at the premises.
  • Multi-zone activation when there has been alarm activation in two or more separate monitoring zones and the alarm company's monitoring station has been unsuccessful in its attempt to contact the premises and/or representative.
  • Onsite human verification of a crime or problem (eye witness).
  • Enhanced Call Verification is confirmed by your monitoring station before they call the Police Department.  This is defined by at least two calls, placed to two different people, coupled with a specific reason why they believe a crime or emergency exists.
  • Although an alarm may not be verified as necessitating a police response, the monitoring companies will still be able to notify the police and request an all-car broadcast for instances of unknown/unverified alarms.  This broadcast will allow police units that may be available or in the area of an unknown alarm to check on the location, if feasible.
  • The above Police response changes do not apply to panic, robbery (hold-up), medical, or distress alarms. These types of alarms will continue to be treated as high-priority calls for service by the Police Department.

Your alarm company is responsible for applying these response requirements.It is the alarm user's responsibility to ensure that the alarm company complies with these requirements.