Proposed Amendments to Burglar Alarm Ordinance
The Department of Administration & Regulatory Affairs presented a proposal to amend the Burglar Alarm Ordinance due to issues faced by permit holders post-Hurricane Harvey. The current ordinance does not address concerns such as permit transfers, refunds for false alarm fees, and refunds for permits purchased before homes were destroyed. The proposal suggests changes such as combining burglar and panic alarm permits, streamlining the process, and eliminating the residential burglar alarm permit category in declared disaster situations.
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Presentation to Regulation and Neighborhood Affairs Committee Burglar Alarm Ordinance Amendment Presented By: The Department of Administration & Regulatory Affairs November 16, 2017
Background Since Harvey, burglar alarm permit holders affected by the storm have contacted the City seeking to: transfer permits to new residence receive refunds or waivers for false alarm fees triggered during the storm receive refunds for permits purchased days before their homes were destroyed None of these issues can be addressed under the current ordinance 2
Background Historically there were two separate types of residential burglar alarms: Burglar alarms set to sound automatically and send a signal to HPD to investigate the breech of a home s window or door Panic alarms require the user to press a panic alarm to indicate a life-threatening emergency warranting immediate HPD response Currently the City offers two types of residential burglar alarm permits: Burglar Alarm only - $39.14 Burglar + Panic combination - $50.00 Modern systems include both burglar and panic alarms, resulting in panic alarms being accidentally triggered Some customers are unaware that their burglar alarm system includes a panic alarm until they receive a $295 non-permitted penalty fee for a false panic alarm 3
Recommendations In the event of a declared disaster the City would have the ability to: Transfer Permits Waive/refund False Alarm Fees and Penalties Refund Permit Fees Streamline the permitting process Eliminate the residential burglar alarm permit category Issue only combined residential burglar/panic alarm permits 4
