In order to minimize the operational impact of false alarms, the City of Saint Paul has adopted an “Alarm Ordinance” in Chapter 329 of the City of Saint Paul Legislative Code. In order to be consistent with this ordinance, the following procedures will be followed when responding to alarms.
Intrusion Alarms:
Officers responding to a burglary or intrusion alarm call will check the perimeter and, if possible, the interior of the building to determine whether a crime has occurred (i.e. a point of entry or damage to the structure). This premise check is extremely important. The officer should be able to state, in the event of a review, that there was no apparent point of entry. This is necessary to prevent parties from being billed when an actual crime has occurred. If the squad responds to an alarm, but can find no damage or point of entry (i.e. a false alarm), the following facts will be recorded in the CAD comments and CAD data fields:
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How the call was received and name of alarm company, if applicable
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The exact address and unit number
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The alarm permit number (if it is displayed, or note its absence)
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That there was no apparent point of entry and whether the location was secure upon inspection
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If no crime has been committed the call will be cleared with a disposition of “False Alarm.” If a crime has occurred, the officer will complete an incident report with the appropriate offense(s) listed.
Robbery Alarms:
If the alarm is valid and a robbery occurred, an original report will be written with the appropriate offense(s) listed. If no robbery occurred, CAD comments will be entered, and the call will be cleared with a disposition of “False Alarm.” CAD comments should detail the cause of the false alarm, such as human error, equipment malfunction, or intentional, as well as the alarm permit number.
Other Alarms:
If the alarm reports a crime (burglary, robbery, theft, or other crime), the officer should write an original incident report for the appropriate offense(s).
Canceled Prior to Arrival:
If a squad is dispatched to an alarm call, but is canceled prior to arriving, CAD comments are not required. The call will be cleared as canceled by the dispatcher and the owner will not be billed.
Alarm Permits:
When responding to alarm calls, officers should attempt to find the displayed alarm permit and document the number. If there is no permit displayed, officers should note that fact in the CAD comments or incident report and when possible, issue a citation to the alarm system user. The citation will be for use of an alarm system without a permit (ordinance 329.02 (B) (3)).
Revised May 24, 2019