At the Tuesday, Dec. 10, Santa Clara City Council meeting, the Council considered having a third-party vendor manage the Residential and Business Alarm Permit program.
The City Code (Chapter 8.40, “False Alarm Regulation”) requires residents and business with an alarm to acquire a permit to ensure accurate, up-to-date information is readily available to Police or Fire personnel responding to the alarmed location. It also enables emergency personnel to contact responsible parties and/or alarm repair company representatives should the alarm need to be reset, has a recurring problem or respond to the site should it need to be secured.
The Council’s approval would mean the public will receive enhanced service to include:
- Ability to track registered and unregistered alarm systems
- Secure online access to account
- Ability to pay online via credit card
- Automatically generate notices and send invoices
In addition, the City of Santa Clara will now benefit from operational efficiencies, improved availability of metrics and an increase in revenue.
The Santa Clara Police Department will be hosting two community meetings about the City of Santa Clara’s Residential and Business Alarm Permit program. The meetings will take place as follows. No RSVP is required:
- Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 2 – 3:30 p.m., Central Park Library, 2635 Homestead Road
- Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 6 – 7:30 p.m., Northside Branch Library, 695 Moreland Way
Each community meeting will follow the same format, and include dialogue on the following topics:
- Purpose and summary of the existing Alarm Permit Program
- Business reasons and community benefits to a new third-party vendor
- Third-party vendor security requirements
- The current and the recommended rate structure
- If Councils approves it, the third-party vendor’s implementation process
- Next steps
On Jan. 14, 2020, the City Council will consider the following items:
- Agreement with Superion, LLC for Residential and Business Alarm Management
- Resolution Amending the Municipal Fee Schedule
- Introduction of an Ordinance Amending Chapter 8.40, False Alarm Regulation, of the City Code
Resident participation at Community Meetings and City Council meetings is encouraged. City Council meetings take place in the Council Chambers, located at 1500 Warburton Avenue. City Council meeting times may vary, check the agenda for details.
Complete agenda packets and back-up reports for City Council meetings are available online the Friday before the Tuesday meeting at https://santaclara.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. If you would like to receive City Council Agenda Notification, subscribe at https://www.santaclaraca.gov/our-city/government/city-clerk/city-council-meetings/city-council-agenda-notification The City Council can be emailed at MayorandCouncil@santaclaraca.gov.
Is alarm permits, and alarm response, and program management, another demonstration of “quid-pro-quo”, aka “something-for-something”, “collusion”? Think about it…. The city is providing local police resources to a private interest group (alarm industry) in exchange for a source of revenue (false alarm fines/fees/permits for their private deterrent alarm customers). Now planning to outsource management tasks to the private interest group in exchange for higher fines and fees. This “quid-pro-quo” can also compromise municipal sovereign immunity (greater liability and insurance costs). Most of the Santa Clara remote-monitored alarm customers are unaware of their participation. Of course, Santa Clara is not alone, it is a nationwide disruption, but Santa Clara government, Silicon Valley, the global leader of the future, is still selling antiques.
Source: Lee Jones: Support Services Group
Someone posts this same silly comment whenever cities move to implement best practices in alarm management that are being utilized nationwide. Alarms protect businesses, homes, schools and places of worship. They reduce crime. The legal issues mentioned in the post would be laughed out of court – if they ever got that far.