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Our Mission:
Provide outstanding police services, in partnership with the community,
maintain a safe environment that contributes to the quality of life.
False Alarm Program
Get Alarm Ordinance Forms
The Shreveport Police Department responds to thousands of alarm calls every year. The majority of these alarms are false and waste police resources. In 2004, it cost over a half million dollars for police response to false alarm calls.
The Shreveport Police Department partners with the community to catch and lock up criminals. False alarms subtract from crime fighting by wasting manpower. Don’t let criminals benefit because officers are too busy dealing with false alarms. False alarms subtract from crime fighting by wasting manpower.
It is not unreasonable to expect your Alarm System to work properly. False alarms are not a given. Any problem can be solved with a little effort and time. We are always here and willing to assist you in any way that we can. There are three reasons why an alarm activates:
1 - A police or medical emergency occurred.
2 - An Alarm User made an error.
3 - Equipment issues.
All of these causes will require some attention from you and you must get involved.
Faulty equipment is not due to your negligence and you
will not have to pay the false alarm fine unless you fail to have it repaired.
Have your Alarm Company repair the equipment (providing us with the paperwork
within the time limits listed in the Alarm Ordinance) and we will adjust the
fines, so you do not have to pay. Equipment will also require tweaking
sometimes. Your alarm should not go off just because a locked door was rattled;
this is a repair issue. Building structure and environmental problems,
antiquated equipment and the misapplication of equipment are just a few examples
of situations that can cause false alarms.
User error is the number one cause of false
alarms. You can have one alarm user fine adjusted per year, per alarm address
by having an alarm company give you (and/or your employees, family members,
etc.) an Alarm User Class. Submit the paperwork to us within the time limits
of the ordinance and you will not have to pay for one alarm user fine. An
Alarm User class will provide information that can prevent false alarms, for
example, most keypads can be programmed for more delay time to exit or enter and
if you set off your alarm inadvertently, you must contact your alarm company and
give them the code, so they do not unnecessarily dispatch police.
A police or medical emergencyis the alarm doing exactly
what it was designed to do. Your house or business is like your child and you
know every mark on it. An officer checking the building at night does not know
every mark, may not see pry marks or be able to tell if damage is new or old.
If a crime or an attempted crime occurred and the damage is minor, it may
not be detected by police and be closed as a false alarm call. If an alarm
user discovers damage that proves there was an attempted break-in, they must
call the police back out to make a report. The Alarm User must also notify the
Alarm Administrator. If the false alarm call and attempted crime report occur
at different times, we have no way of knowing there is a connection unless you
call us.
The bonus in the alarm ordinance is that even
if there is nothing wrong with your alarm system, you can have one fine adjusted
per calendar year by just having a service call and providing us with the
paperwork within the time constraints of the Alarm Ordinance. Everybody wins
with a properly operating alarm system — you, the police and your alarm
company.
The Alarm Ordinance was passed in an attempt to
reduce the number of false alarms occurring within the City of Shreveport and
the resultant waste of police resources. The ordinance provides corrective
administrative action, including the imposition of fines on both users and alarm
businesses.
The False Alarm fines are set up as follows:
| Fine Schedule | |
|---|---|
Alarm Business fines shall be as follows:
(1) A $100 fine for each incident for an Alarm Business requesting an officer response on a False Alarm that is the result of installation, system repairs or system service.
(2) A $100 fine for each incident for an Alarm Business on each violation of this Ordinance.
There are provisions in the Alarm Ordinance for appeals. Any alarm user or alarm business shall have 20 business days from the date of issuance of the bill for a false alarm or other violation under this section to request in writing an appeal of such assessment to the alarm appeal board. Such appeals shall be filed in the office of the Chief of Police. Any such appeal which has not already been considered by the alarm administrator shall be considered by the alarm administrator first, and shall be heard by the alarm appeal board only if the alarm administrator has negative findings.
You may direct any questions to the Alarm Administrator at (318) 673-6934, or email the Alarm Administrator at Alarm_Administrator@ci.shreveport.la.us. The Alarm Administrator has voicemail and office hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday.
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Mailing Address for the Alarm Administrator: |
For Appeals |
|---|---|
| Shreveport Police Department | Shreveport Police Department |
| Alarm Administrator | Chief of Police/ Alarm Authority |
| 1234 Texas Avenue | 1234 Texas Avenue |
| Shreveport, LA 71101-3345 | Shreveport, LA 71101-3345 |
Payments may be made in person, or by mail. Please detach the remittance portion of the bill
and send with your payment to insure the proper posting of your account.
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Mail to:
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Pay in person at:
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Or: |
|---|---|---|
| City of Shreveport | City Hall Annex | Government Plaza |
| Revenue Division | 1237 Murphy St. | 505 Travis Street |
| P. O. Box 30017 | Shreveport, LA 71101 | Shreveport, LA 71101 |
| Shreveport, LA, 71130 |
Your Alarm Company is responsible for notifying you when your alarm activates.