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Atherton directs stepped notices and stronger enforcement for alarm-permit compliance after staff cites many unpaid permits and unpaid false-alarm fees
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Summary
Police and finance staff told the council roughly 1,500 residential alarm permits exist and about 43% are unpaid; commanders recommended a centralized registry and a three-step notice process. Council approved implementing the notice system and asked staff to return with enforcement thresholds and collections options.
The Police Commander told the council the town requires permits (or registrations) for all residential alarm systems and described staff recommendations to improve compliance: a centralized database of alarm permit holders, tracking of paid/unpaid permits, and a three-step notification process for unpaid permits (initial annual notice, a 30-day past-due notice, and a final notice at 60 days that gives 15 days to pay before police monitoring could be discontinued).
The commander said that for alarms the department processed roughly 1,246 alarm events in the reporting period, dispatchers canceled 583 after verification calls, officers still responded to 662 calls, and there was one confirmed burglary among the calls. He summarized the false-alarm fee program: the first three false alarms are free, then escalating fees apply from the fourth incident on.
Finance staff provided payment data: about 1,534 registered alarms were on the list and roughly 692 permits were paid (a payment shortfall of about 842 permits, i.e., ~43% unpaid). Staff also said false-alarm invoices totaled about $9,800 in 2025 and approximately $4,600 of those fees remain unpaid. Councilors and residents expressed concern that terminating police monitoring could slow response times and urged clear communication about consequences.
Council directed staff to implement the commander's three-step notice process, to make renewal notices look and feel like a bill to increase compliance, and to return with a staff recommendation on enforcement thresholds and the administrative cost-recovery approach (late fees, administrative citations, or sending unpaid balances to collections). Council also asked staff to consider tying permit nonpayment to reduced fee privileges (forfeiting the 'first three free' false-alarm threshold until the permit is paid) and to present options that cover administrative costs if collection actions are needed.
