Spokane Municipal Code

Title 10 Regulation of Activities

Chapter 10.48 False Alarms

Section 10.48.180 Appropriating Public Police Services for Private Purposes Subject to Cost Recovery Fees

1. Causing police to engage in a false alarm response constitutes an appropriation of public police services for private purposes and is subject to a cost recovery fee.
    
2. The alarm user is responsible for payment of his registration and cost recovery fees.
    
3. When, in the opinion of the responding officer(s), an alarm dispatch request can be reasonably associated with an actual or attempted criminal offense at the involved alarm site, the alarm is valid and the response is considered a basic police service not subject to cost recovery fees.
    
4. When, in the opinion of the responding officer(s), an alarm dispatch request can be reasonably attributed to an earthquake, hurricane, tornado or other unusually violent act of nature, no cost recovery fee shall be assessed.
    
5. When, in the opinion of the responding officer(s), an alarm dispatch request cannot be reasonably attributed to the conditions described in subsection (C) or (D) of this section, the incident is a false alarm and the police officer response is considered an appropriation of public police services for private purposes that is subject to cost recovery.
    
6. When the responding officer(s) is (are) unable to determine if an alarm is valid or false because of inaccessibility of the alarm site, the response is presumed to be a false alarm response, and is subject to cost recovery fees. (See SMC 10.48.020(Q))

Date Passed: Monday, April 28, 2008

Effective Date: Saturday, May 31, 2008

ORD C34223 Section 10