Foster City PD Profile
Population: 30,000
Sworn Personnel: 46Alarm Unit Staffing: 1 P/T
Contact Information:
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Chief Robert Norman Ph: (650) 286-3330 Fax: (650) 573-9080 Email: |
Corporal Scott Welch Ph: (650) 286-3322 Fax: (650) 349-0790 Email: |
Model States Result Summary:
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1996 False Dispatches |
1997 False Dispatches |
1998 False Dispatches |
1996/1997 % Change |
1997/1998 % Change |
|
465 |
545 |
565 |
17% |
4% |
|
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
|
|
Total calls for Service |
8,718 |
9,897 |
Unk. |
|
Valid Alarms |
Unk. |
Unk. |
Unk. |
|
Total # Alarm Systems: Unknown |
Residential = Unknown |
?? |
Commercial = Unknown |
?? |
| Ordinance Information: | |
| (Any field with a double entry reflects program start informaitojn versus current i.e. Start; Final) | |
|
False Alarm Ordinance? Yes How long? 1987 Permit Required? No Renewal Cycle: N/A Calendar/Fiscal Year: Fiscal Who bills? City Accounting Permit Fees: Commercial = N/A Residential = N/A |
Degree of Enforcement? Moderate Alarm data source? Manual Suspend/restrict response? Yes (however, never have) How many until response suspended? Depends on situation (i.e. 4 at the discretion of Chief) Accept cancellations? Yes Require verification? No Response Priority? Moderate |
| Fine Structure | ||
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1st False Dispatch Free 2nd False Dispatch Free 3rd False Dispatch Free 4th False Dispatch $ 50 |
5th False Dispatch $ 50 6th False Dispatch $ 50 7th False Dispatch $ 50 8th False Dispatch $ 50 |
9th False Dispatch $ 50 10th False Dispatch $ 50 11th False Dispatch $ 50 12th False Dispatch $ 50 |
Comments: In 1997, Foster City Police Department reported 545 false dispatches. In 1998, the number was up 4% at 565. They have had an existing alarm ordinance on the books since 1982 and only moderately enforced it. There is no registration required. They do not have meaningful escalating fines (three free then $50 per alarm thereafter). They can suspend response, but never have -that falls under the discretion of the Chief. They have a dedicated volunteer that enters the data and runs the billing module from the FAAP program.
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| MODEL STATES REPORT Best Practices in Reducing False Dispatches | |
| - 49- |