§ 2-21-55. False alarm penalties.

(a)

Responsibility for false alarms shall be borne by the alarm user. It shall not be a defense to this article that a false alarm was the result of faulty or malfunctioning equipment, any animal, any object under the control of the alarm user, or that the false alarm was caused by the fault of another person during a noncriminal event.

(b)

After the alarm user has had two (2) false alarms as mentioned in section 2-21-54(a) and (b), above, and is under an obligation to register and obtain a permit, the following fine schedule shall apply for each subsequent false alarm:

(1)

First and second false alarms within a permit year: Twenty-five dollars ($25.00) each;

(2)

Third and fourth false alarms within a permit year: Fifty dollars ($50.00) each;

(3)

Fifth and sixth false alarms within a permit year: One hundred dollars ($100.00) each;

(4)

Seventh and eighth false alarms within a permit year: Two hundred dollars ($200.00) each;

(5)

Ninth and above false alarms within a permit year: Four hundred dollars ($400.00) each;

(6)

In the alarm user's second and subsequent permit years the fine schedule shall start from the fine for a first false alarm.

(7)

An additional fine for any false alarms from an alarm system required by this article to be registered and not so registered or from an alarm system with a revoked permit, is two hundred dollars ($200.00) per occurrence. The sheriff shall reduce this additional fine to fifty dollars ($50.00) if the alarm user applies for and obtains an alarm permit and pays any outstanding fines within fifteen (15) days of the false alarm.

(c)

The sheriff may offer an alarm awareness class to alarm users. Alarm users may attend the class in lieu of paying one false alarm fine per permit year.

(d)

Within ten (10) working days of a false alarm, MCSO shall bill the alarm user, by regular U.S. Mail, the amount of the fee and/or fine.

(e)

False alarm fines are payable in full no later than thirty (30) days after the billing date. Fines as provided herein are not the exclusive means of enforcement of this article and the sheriff is authorized to invoke any statutory remedy pertaining to the enforcement of ordinances as exist in Florida law, including the filing of civil or criminal court actions.

(Ord. No. 04-32, § 6, 2-3-04)