Public Safety Committee
February 27, 2024
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor and
members of the City Council
FROM: Councilmember Kaplan
At-Large District
SUBJECT: Adopting Verified
Response
DATE: February 15, 2024
RECOMMENDATION
Councilmember Kaplan recommends that the City Council adopt an ordinance.
ORDINANCE AMENDING OAKLAND MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTER 8.02
(BURGLAR ALARM SYSTEMS) TO (1) REQUIRE ALL NEW ALARM
INSTALLATIONS TO BE VERIFIED RESPONSE ALARM SYSTEMS; (2) PROHIBIT
ALARM BUSINESSES FROM MAKING DISPATCH REQUESTS BASED ON NON- VERIFIED ALARMS; AND (3) IMPOSE CIVIL PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS; AND
ADOPTING CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT EXEMPTION
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A Verified Response System mandates private alarm companies to verify that a crime is indeed taking place before contacting the police. This places the responsibility and cost on the alarm companies to ensure their equipment works correctly as intended. Excessive false alarms unduly burden the Oakland Police Department’s law enforcement resources. Adopting these amendments will redirect the Oakland Police Department’s resources from responding to false alarms to more critical matters, ultimately contributing to a safer and more secure community.
The City of Oakland (hereinafter “The City”) regulates security alarm companies to prevent false alarms from reducing the availability of police services for the public. Additionally, the regulation aims to avoid penalizing residents who cannot afford or choose not to use security alarm systems.
A Verified Response System intends to foster and promote the health, safety, and welfare of the public, not to protect individuals or create (or otherwise establish or designate) any particular class or group of persons who will or should be significantly benefited by the terms of this Chapter. The ordinance places no duties on The City. Compliance and liability fall solely on those responsible for security alarm systems.
Honorable Mayor & City Council
Subject: Adopting A Verified Response
Date: February 15, 2024 Page 2
Public Safety Committee
February 27, 2024
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
A Verified Response system mandates an alarm system to confirm that an alarm activation is not accidental. This confirmation can be obtained by sound, video, a manually activated panic button, or an eyewitness account indicating that a crime is occurring. When an alarm is verified, it is considered a "verified" response. Verification can also be done when an alarm company agent, property owner, or witness at the activation scene confirms that police are needed because a crime has occurred.
Excessive false alarms unduly burden law enforcement, impacting resources. A conventional alarm system can only sense motion and cannot detect criminal intent. It can only report human error, system malfunctions, and unusual conditions, most of which are not related to any criminal activity.
False alarms draining law enforcement resources is a nationwide issue. Oakland is not an exception in proposing a practical solution for reducing the cost of false alarms on law enforcement resources. For example, cities across the western United States, most notably Las Vegas, collectively shared data indicating that most or nearly 98% of police responses to alarm activations are false alarms. Las Vegas adopted a Verified Response practice to great success.
Furthermore, the Las Vegas Deputy Chief of Police, Mike Ault, believes NOT implementing a VR response and shifting the burden of alarm response to law enforcement is illegal as it comes down to contracting with a government entity without a contract. The link to the report can be found here.
In The City, the Public Safety and Services Oversight Commission (SSOC) has helped carve the essential pieces of these proposed amendments. Furthermore, the SSOC has expressed support for a verified response. A statement from the SSOC is attached to this report as Attachment A.
Adopting a Verified Response system is a practical tool to help unburden law enforcement from dispensing critical resources on false alarms. Furthermore, the Verified Response approach is a familiar idea. Cities like the size and with needs like The City have successfully adopted verified response systems. Cities have found verified response an adequate tool that improves law enforcement. Moreover, the SSOC has cited verified responses as an effective tool.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
A Verified Response has proven an effective law enforcement resource management method in cities across the western United States. The SSOC has also advocated for adopting a verified response system to increase the resources available for public safety matters in law enforcement.
Honorable Mayor & City Council
Subject: Adopting A Verified Response
Date: February 15, 2024 Page 3
Public Safety Committee
February 27, 2024
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact on the City budget by adopting these amendments. The City of Oakland regulates security alarm companies to prevent false alarms from affecting police services. The goal is to avoid penalizing residents who can't afford or choose not to use security alarm systems.
PUBLIC OUTREACH/INTEREST
No public outreach was deemed necessary for this item. Nevertheless, the ordinance was introduced with the aid and insights of the SSOC. The SSOC is a commission made up of members of the public whose specific task is to recommend practices that can enhance public safety.
COORDINATION
The At-Large office has coordinated with the SSOC in drafting these proposed amendments.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: Adopting these amendments does not impact the City’s budget. The City regulates security alarm companies to prevent false alarms from reducing the availability of police services for the public. Additionally, the regulation aims to avoid penalizing residents who cannot afford or choose not to use security alarm systems.
Environmental: Adopting these amendments does not impact the environment.
Social Equity: By adopting these amendments, law enforcement can focus on increasing public safety and utilizing resources more efficiently.
Honorable Mayor & City Council
Subject: Adopting A Verified Response
Date: February 15, 2024 Page 4
Public Safety Committee
February 27, 2024
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Councilmember Kaplan recommends that the City Council adopt an O
RDINANCE AMENDING OAKLAND MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTER 8.02
(BURGLAR ALARM SYSTEMS) TO (1) REQ UIRE AL L NEW ALARM
INSTALLATIONS TO BE VERIFIED RES PONSE ALARM SYSTEMS; (2) PR OHIBIT
ALARM BUSINESSES FROM MAKING DISPATCH REQUESTS BASED ON NON- VE
RIFIED ALARMS; AND (3) IMPOSE CIVIL PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS; AND
ADOPTING CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT EXEMPTION F
or questions regarding this report, please contact Michael Al varenga, L egislative Analyst, at [email protected]
Attachment A – SSOC statement letter
Resp
ectfully submitted,
Counc
ilmember Rebecca Kaplan
At-Large District
Pr
epared by:
Michael Alvarenga, Legislative Analyst
Office of Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan
Attachment A Page 5
Public Safety Committee
February 27, 2024