Merced Mysteries & Minutiae: Merced alarm systems now require permits

It seems like every homeowner or business owner these days has an alarm system, maybe because they’ve been burglarized before, or maybe just for a sense of security and peace of mind.

Anyone who has a security alarm system probably understands how easy it can be to set off accidentally. The noise is excruciatingly loud.

And if the police happen to respond, it could be embarrassing.

But for Merced Police Department officers, it’s become such a nuisance, particularly for schools and businesses, that the City Council recently adopted a new ordinance on alarm systems.

The ordinance has been in the making for about two years and has been in effect about two months.

In the past five years or so, 1.7 percent of alarm calls were legitimate alarms, Marvin Dillsaver, communications supervisor for Merced police, told the council in January. That’s 525 calls out of 26,258 for 2011-15.

Those numbers are staggering.

What’s worse is that about $370,000 on average each year is spent in personnel time and equipment on false alarms.

“In addition, when officers respond to false alarms, that delays their response time to true emergencies,” Dillsaver said.

Schools and businesses are the worst offenders, Dillsaver said, often because the equipment is installed incorrectly or because so many people are on school campuses and work with the alarms that they aren’t necessarily trained properly.

Since the ordinance went into effect, Dillsaver said, false alarms for schools already have decreased.

The new ordinance set up some parameters for alarm companies as well, such as requiring alarm companies to do some work to ensure criminal activity is happening before contacting police.

The city council adopted an ordinance in April in an attempt to save the headache on resources it takes responding to false alarms.

Q: What are some of the requirements on alarm systems in the city of Merced under the new ordinance?

A: First, homeowners, schools, businesses and essentially any property that has an operating alarm system need to apply for a permit with the city.

Good news: The permit is free.

The city sent out permit applications by mail and email. Residents and businesses who didn’t get one can pick one up at the Police Department on 22nd Street. You also can go to the Police Department webpage on the city’s website for forms. The form can be submitted online or emailed to alarms@cityofmerced.org.

Applications for permits should be submitted by July 18.

Under the new ordinance, property owners will be fined for excessive false alarms. The fine is steeper if you don’t have a permit.

Without a permit, any false alarm that officers respond to is a $100 fine. With a permit, owners don’t get fined until the third false alarm. After 10 false alarms for a residence, a permit will be suspended. Suspension comes after 20 false alarms for a business.

Schools and government agencies get off a bit easier for the first year the ordinance is in effect. These entities don’t get fined until the eighth false alarm, and the fines aren’t as high. In July 2017, the fees will match those of a residence.

Schools also aren’t subject to permit suspension, but false alarms will continue to cost them.

As of Friday, the city received 116 permit applications. There likely are thousands more residents out there who have alarm systems, so spread the word that they should apply for a permit ASAP.

This story was originally published July 3, 2016 at 3:43 PM with the headline "Merced Mysteries & Minutiae: Merced alarm systems now require permits."