§ 5-27. False alarm fines; exceptions.

(a)

False alarm fines. The first false alarm does not require payment of a fine. The second false alarm does not require payment of a fine if the premises is registered. If the premise is not registered, however, fines may be issued for the second false alarm and also for a registration violation. When a citation for a false alarm violation is issued, a responsible party shall, within thirty (30) days of the date of the violator's receipt of that citation, pay to the Board of Collier County Commissioners a false alarm civil fine as follows:

False Alarm Fine Schedule
False Alarm Fine Per False Alarm:

First Response	No false alarm fine.
Second Response	No false alarm fine if registered. $25.00 false alarm fine if not registered, plus $25.00 registration fine.
Third or Fourth Response	Citation issued; $75.00 fine.
Fifth or Sixth Response	Citation issued; $100.00 fine.
Seventh or Eighth Response	Citation issued; $150.00 fine.
Ninth or more Response	Citation issued; $200.00 fine.

 

(b)

Exceptions.

(1)

One hundred eighty days without a false alarm. If 180 days pass without a false alarm from the respective alarm system, a "clean slate" status shall be automatically granted to that system if all false alarm fines arising out of every prior false alarm for that system have been paid. The first false alarm after "clean slate" status does not require a written warning and shall commence a new 180 days time period from subsequent false alarms from that alarm system.

(2)

New alarm system installed. Installation of an entirely new security alarm system at the secured premises, upon written notice of same to the sheriff's office and all prior false alarm fines and late fees are paid, shall be classified as a new system and shall be treated as an alarm system that had no prior false alarm(s), "clean slate" status.

(3)

Good faith mistake of crime being committed. No person shall violate this article by intentionally setting off a security alarm signal to prompt an official response if that alarm was set off based upon a reasonable mistake of fact that a crime was then being committed at the secured premises. The responding enforcement official will determine whether there was a reasonable mistake of fact to justify the intentional activation of that alarm signal. If excused, that alarm shall not be counted as a false alarm.

(Ord. No. 97-8, § 6, 1-28-97; Ord. No. 01-56, § 7, 10-23-01; Ord. No. 04-48, § 1; Ord. No. 2008-52, § 1, 9-9-08; Ord. No. 2014-07, § 4; Ord. No. 2017-32, § 3)