False Alarm Reduction Unit
For questions about the False Alarm Reduction program or billings, please contact the City of Spokane Valley Police Department at: (509) 477-3304.
About the Program
As the use of commercial and residential security alarm systems has increased, so has the incidence of false alarms. False alarms cost the community more than the time and resources spent on response; they divert attention and resources away from genuine law enforcement needs.
To help reduce the incidence of false alarms and recover the cost of responding to them, Spokane Valley's locally-administered False Alarm Reduction program lets alarm users choose whether they want police response to alarm activations.
IF YOU DO want the Spokane Valley Police Department to respond when your alarm is activated, no registration or additional action is required.
- When your alarm monitoring company calls for police response to an alarm activation, the monitoring company will be required to provide your name and contact information. No registration is required for this service.
- If no evidence of an intrusion is discovered by the responding officer, the alarm will be deemed false, and you will be billed a cost recovery fee.
IF YOU DO NOT want the Spokane Valley Police Department to respond to an alarm activation:
- Contact your alarm monitoring company, and instruct them to NOT call the police without your prior authorization when your alarm is activated.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
TIPS FOR AVOIDING THE MOST COMMON CAUSES OF FALSE ALARMS
FALSE ALARM CHARGE ON A NEWLY INSTALLED SYSTEM? There is a 60 day grace period for new residential alarm systems. If this is your first false alarm and it has occurred within the first 60 days since the installation of your residential alarm system you are exempt from the cost recovery fee.
Please call 509 477-3304 for information on how to provide proof of your system installation date.
FOR MORE INFORMATION the full text of the Spokane Valley alarm code can be found under Title 7 Health and Safety.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Spokane Valley Police will be dispatched in response to eyewitness reports or audio/visual evidence of intrusion. The cost recovery fee does not apply to these types of responses.
False Alarm Response Cost Recovery Fees
If police respond to an alarm system activation and the alarm is deemed to be false, a False Alarm Response Cost Recovery Fee will be charged.
- False Alarm Response Cost Recovery Fee: $65.00
If at any time a cost recovery fee becomes 60 days past due your alarm site will be suspended from receiving police response for alarm calls until all outstanding fees have been paid in full.
What payment options are available?
The following payment options are available to you: online, telephone, by mail, and in person.
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Online: Refer to your false alarm notification letter. It contains a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Incident # that you will need to enter to complete your online payment.
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Telephone: Phone payments may be made at (844) 719-3085.Your false alarm notification letter contains a CAD Incident # that you will need to enter to complete your payment.
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By Mail: Payments (Check ONLY) may be mailed to the Spokane Valley Precinct Building at 12710 E. Sprague Avenue, Spokane Valley, Washington, 99216. Be sure to include the lower portion of your notification letter. It contains the CAD Incident # that will allow your payment to be correctly applied to your false alarm incident.
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In Person: Credit card payments and check payments are accepted at the front counter of the Precinct Building at 12710 E. Sprague Avenue. A receipt will be provided to you at that time. Cash payments are not accepted.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Spokane Valley's False Alarm Reduction program does not apply to:
- Personal safety alert alarms
- Fire alarms
- Car alarms