Excessive False Alarm Policy

It is the policy of the Jacksonville Beach Police Department to limit the number of false alarms to which officers respond at business and residential locations within the city limits.  This will be enforced through a “non-response” policy to excessive false alarms.  NOTE:  This does not include medical, smoke, or fire alarms.  The Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department will be dispatched to all medical, smoke, and fire alarms.

Please note: If you have an alarm, keep your emergency contact updated with the City of Jacksonville Beach Police Department. The City of Jacksonville Beach and the Jacksonville Beach Police Department do not register alarms.

The police department will respond to all burglar, panic, silent, audible, and robbery/hold-up alarms, except as provided.

If the department responds to three false alarms within a calendar year at a business or residential location, the procedures contained within this general order will be implemented. 

After the third false alarm in a calendar year, the primary officer will notify the owner/caretaker of the business or residence that the department will not respond to any further alarms until the system has been repaired and/or employees/family members have been trained in the proper use of the alarm system.  Further, the primary officer will inform the party, if a person connected with the business or residence responds to an alarm and discovers a problem (e.g., burglary, vandalism, suspicious activity, etc.), he/she should notify the police department immediately, and sworn personnel will respond to the location.

Once a business or residence has been designated as a “non-response” location, police responses for burglar/panic/robbery alarms will be suspended until the owner/caretaker provides documentation to the on-duty supervisor that the alarm system has been repaired, and/or employees/family members have been trained in the proper use of the alarm system.  With satisfactory documentation, the on-duty supervisor may re-activate regular police response to the location for future alarm calls.  If that decision is made, the on-duty supervisor will notify communications officers to record.

Once an alarm has been removed from a “non-response” status, if the business or residence has two additional false alarms within the same calendar year, the primary officer will respond to the business or residence and follow section 308.09 (C).  The business or residence will remain in a “non-response” status until the Chief of Police or his designee determines that adequate steps have been taken by the owner/caretaker to correct the problems leading to excessive false alarms.

 When a communications officer receives an alarm call for service from the monitoring company for a “non-response” location, the communications officer will advise the monitoring company of the “non-response” status.  The communications officer will enter the call into the departmental computer indicating the “non-response” status and will immediately cancel the call from the computer.  Police units will not be dispatched on the alarm call.  The alarm company will also be notified that, if the owner/caretaker responds to an alarm and discovers a problem (e.g., burglary, vandalism, suspicious activity, etc.), he/she should notify the police department immediately, and sworn personnel will respond to the location.

Beginning on January 1 of each year, all false alarm counts will be reset to zero for businesses and residences, except for those locations in “non-response” status as of January 1.  Those locations will remain in “non-response” status unless and until the owner/caretaker complies with the provisions of Subsection (E) or (F), as applicable, and the Chief of Police or designee authorizes removal from “non-response” status.  

To view the complete Excessive False Alarm Violations Policy, click here.