Item No. 10
Town of Atherton
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT – REGULAR AGENDA
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
GEORGE RODERICKS, CITY MANAGER
FROM: STEVEN D. MCCULLEY, CHIEF OF POLICE
DATE: MARCH 18, 2026
SUBJECT: REVIEW PROPOSED ALARM PERMIT COMPLIANCE AND
FALSE ALARM PENALTY COLLECTION POLICIES
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommend that the City Council review the information contained in this report and provide feedback regarding staff’s recommended administrative policies regarding alarm permit compliance and false alarm penalty collection policies.
BACKGROUND
The Police Department (PD) administers alarm permits for all residences throughout the Town and provides alarm monitoring for enrolled households, as outlined in the Atherton Municipal Code Chapter 8.04, Alarm Systems. Alarm permits are required for all residential alarm systems, regardless of whether they are monitored by the Town, a private alarm company, or not monitored at all. Pursuant to Chapter 8.04, residents are required to obtain an annual permit from the Police Department. Every year, a percentage of permit holders fail to remit payment or maintain current permit status, creating administrative and operational burdens.
In addition, the Town continues to experience false alarms, including repeated occurrences at certain residences. Each alarm response results in Dispatch directing officers to the scene. If the alarm is determined to be false before arrival, officers will be canceled. Per the ordinance, multiple false alarms in 12 months to which officers respond result in penalty fines. False alarm response impacts response capacity, officer workload, and overall service equity among residents. Often, these fines go unpaid, and at this time, no effort is currently being made to collect them beyond initial notices.
This report outlines current practices, identifies gaps, presents data related to false alarms, and provides recommendations for Council consideration.
ANALYSIS
Alarm Permit Compliance, Monitoring Practices, and False Alarm Policy 03-18-2026
Alarm Permits and Monitoring
The PD Dispatch Center currently monitors 1,534 residential alarm systems. At the start of each year, the Finance Department (using an outside consultant Turbodata) sends a letter to all residents reminding them that an annual alarm permit is required for any alarm system. Using a list of known permit holders provided by the PD, Finance tracks permit renewals and identifies new permit holders. Finance also forwards information on new permits to the PD so dispatch and electronic records can be updated. As part of the current practice, the Finance Department will issue the first notice to all residents and will send a follow-up letter to known renewals. However, no additional follow-up is conducted for those that have a permit renewal due but who fail to pay for that renewal.
Staff is recommending several modifications to current practice. In addition to establishing a database of all permit holders and a tracking system for paid and unpaid permits, staff recommend adopting a structured three-step notice and enforcement process:
Step 1 - Initial Notice
An initial notice will be sent to all residents in January. The notice will alert property owners to the requirement to obtain a permit for their system and will advise those with existing systems that they are required to renew their permit annually. There will be a clear due date and payment instructions. Turbodata has developed an online payment portal for residents to use. For those that want to pay in person, they can do so at the PD or the Town’s front desk (cash or credit card). The associated information update form will need to be sent directly to the PD.
Step 2 - Second Notice (30 days past due)
Thirty (30) days after the initial January notice, a reminder letter will be issued to all known permit holders for renewal. This letter will note the delinquency and for the permit holders with alarm systems that are monitored by the Town, indicate that there may be possible service impacts if payment is not received.
Step 3 - Final Notice / Termination Warning (60 days past due) At the sixty (60) day mark, a final notice will be sent advising that for those systems monitored by the Town, monitoring services will be terminated if payment is not received within a defined period. Staff recommends a 15-day payment window. This is the final opportunity to maintain an active permit.
Service Termination
Failure to remit the payment results in the discontinuance of the PD monitoring service once the final deadline passes. Residents may reactivate PD monitoring upon payment of an administrative reinstatement fee (the full cost of a new permit).
Alarm Permit Compliance, Monitoring Practices, and False Alarm Policy 03-18-2026
False Alarms
In 2025, PD dispatch received 1,246 alarm calls, using the resident information provided by the permit application process. For 583 alarm calls, dispatch was able to contact the responsible party, determine that the alarm was false, and stop our police responses. Of the remaining 663 alarm calls, all were false except 1. To help mitigate false alarms, a penalty fee was established for repeat false alarm responses. Penalty fees are as follows:
• a $400 fee for a 4th false alarm in 12 months;
• a $500 fee for a 5th alarm in 12 months; and
• a $600 fee for the 6th and each subsequent false alarm in 12 months.
For 2025, there is a total of $9,800 in issued fees for false-alarm responses. These penalty fees are a result of 14 residents who had 4 false alarms in a 12-month period, 6 residents with 5 false alarms in the same period, and 6 residents with 6 false alarms in the same period. To date, $4,600 of these fees has gone unpaid. The unpaid fees are for twelve 4th false alarm responses, four 5th false alarm responses, and six 6th false alarm responses. Currently, there is no process in place for Finance to send them to a collection agency.
Staff is recommending several modifications to existing policy. For repeat false alarm penalty fees per the ordinance, staff recommend adopting a structured three-step notice and enforcement process:
Step 1 - Initial Notice of Penalty Due
An initial notice will be sent after the 4th false alarm in 12 months and for each additional false alarm within 12 months. The notice will include a clear due date and payment instructions.
Step 2 - Second Notice (30 days past due)
After thirty (30) days, a reminder letter noting the delinquency will be sent. This letter will note the delinquency and for the permit holders with alarm systems that are monitored by the Town, indicate that there may be possible service impacts if payment is not received.
Step 3 - Final Notice / Termination Warning (60 days past due) At the sixty (60) day mark, a final notice will be sent advising that for those systems monitored by the Town, monitoring services will be terminated if payment is not received within a defined period. Staff recommend a 15-day payment window. This is the final opportunity to maintain an remit false alarm fees before collections or service termination.
Service Termination
Failure to remit the payment results in the discontinuation of the PD monitoring service once the final deadline passes. Residents may reactivate PD monitoring upon payment of all false alarm Alarm Permit Compliance, Monitoring Practices, and False Alarm Policy 03-18-2026
penalty fees and payment of a new alarm fee. For alarm services that fail to remit their penalty fees, staff recommend that these be sent to collections.
Public Education Outreach
The PD will produce annual communications reminding residents of how to prevent false alarms and provide guidance on contractor related activations, system maintenance, and user training.
Adopting a structured permit compliance process and a clear false-alarm policy will improve service fairness, reduce unnecessary alarms, and enable the Police Department to maintain efficient and equitable monitoring services.
FISCAL IMPACT
Improved fee remittance rates may offset Department administrative costs and reduce unnecessary officer responses. Reducing false alarms will improve operational efficiency without impacting core services.
GOAL ALIGNMENT
Goal E - Strengthen Community Engagement and Transparency Goal F - Be a Forward-Thinking, Well-Managed, Well-Planned Town
PUBLIC NOTICE
Public notification was achieved by posting the agenda, including this agenda item, at least 72 hours before the meeting in print and electronically. Information about the project is also disseminated via the Town’s electronic News Flash and Atherton Online. There are approximately 1,200 subscribers to the Town’s electronic News Flash publications. Subscribers include residents and stakeholders, including, but not limited to, media outlets, school districts, the Menlo Park Fire District, service providers (water, power, and sewer), and regional elected officials.
COMMISSION/COMMITTEE FEEDBACK/REFERRAL
This item ____ has or __X___ has not been before a Town Committee or Commission. ____ Audit/Finance Committee (meets every other month)
____ Bicycle/Pedestrian Committee (meets as needed)
____ Civic Center Advisory Committee (meets as needed)
____ Environmental Programs Committee (meets every other month) ____ Park and Recreation Committee (meets each month)
____ Planning Commission (meets each month)
____ Rail Committee (meets every other month)
____ Transportation Committee (meets every other month) ____ Tree Committee (meets each month)
Alarm Permit Compliance, Monitoring Practices, and False Alarm Policy 03-18-2026
ATTACHMENTS
A. Atherton Municipal Code 8.04 Alarm Systems