Alarm Links

The Alarm Reduction Unit is located within the Gwinnett County Police Permits office in the One Justice Square building near the Gwinnett County Justice and Administration Center. 

The office address is:

446 West Crogan Street, #200, Lawrenceville, GA 30046. 

The hours of operation are AM hours: Monday – Friday , 8:00am - 11:30am.  
                                        PM hours: Monday – Friday , 1:00pm - 4:30pm.  
                                        The office is closed from 11:30am -1:00pm daily.

The office is closed on holidays/weekends.

The mailing address is:

P.O. Box 602, Lawrenceville, GA 30046, ATTN: Alarms

Forms of payment accepted in office are check or Visa/MasterCard only . Check payments may also be submitted by mail. Make checks payable to Gwinnett County Police Department. A 2.45% managed service fee is added to card payments collected in office only. Please include the complete case number with payment.

Payments may also be submitted online by clicking here.

False Alarms

False Alarms are more than an inconvenience; they take up time and energy of emergency personnel who may be needed to respond to a real emergency. The majority of alarm calls received by the Gwinnett County Police Department are false alarms, which may be avoided by proper maintenance of alarm systems, and a suitable response by the property owner once the alarm has sounded. The Gwinnett County Code of Ordinances – Chapter 34 – Article III, provides for corrective administrative action for the purpose of reducing false alarm occurrences. This title covers burglary and robbery alarms in the jurisdiction of the Gwinnett County Police Department only. The following is a summary of the requirements of the title. The entire ordinance can be accessed at the link at the bottom of the page.

Alarm Registration

No alarm user shall operate, or cause to be operated, an alarm system at its alarm site without a valid alarm registration issued by the police department. A separate registration is required for each alarm site. Alarm site means a single fixed location served by an alarm system or systems and includes both residential and commercial spaces.

Registrations may be revoked if:

• The alarm user has had four or more false alarms in a calendar year
• The alarm user habitually fails to comply with the duties of an alarm user, as defined in Article III (Alarm Systems), including but not limited to:
  - Maintain the premises and alarm system in a manner that will minimize or eliminate false alarms
  - Respond or cause a representative to respond to the alarm site within 30 minutes when requested by the police department to deactivate a malfunctioning alarm system, to provide access to the premises, or to provide alternative security for the premises
• The alarm user fails to have the alarm system adjusted so that an audible alarm will sound for no longer than 15 minutes after being activated
• The alarm user fails to have the alarm system inspected after two false alarms in a calendar year. After four false alarms in a calendar year, the alarm user must have the alarm company modify the alarm to be more false alarm resistant
• There is a false statement of a material fact in the application for the alarm registration
• The alarm user has failed to make timely payments of a fine or fee assessed under Article III

Forms:

Alarm users can complete the Alarm Registration Application/Renewal Application online. If you would prefer a hardcopy to be mailed to you, please contact the Alarm Administrator at 770.513.5117. There is no charge to register your alarm. However, operating an alarm system without valid registration can result in an additional $25.00 fee for each false alarm.

What is a false alarm?

False alarms are when your system detects an erroneous status. This is usually due to equipment failure or user error. False dispatches are when police resources are dispatched to the alarm location and no evidence of a building breech or crime were discovered.

Did you know?

• 99 percent of all alarm calls are false
• The majority of false alarms are caused by human error
• GCPD officers responded to 28,638 in 2015
• The number of true alarms was 254 in 2015

What false alarms do:

• Take police away from community policing activities and other real emergencies
• Lead neighbors to ignore the alarm when it goes off, making the system less reliable and less credible
• False alarms create a potential danger to citizens and officers responding to the call

If a false alarm occurs:

• Do not call 911.
• Stay off the telephone.
• Carefully turn off (disarm) the alarm.
• The alarm monitoring service should call immediately. If they do not call, call them and advise that there was a false activation and give them the secret password. The alarm user will not be charged unless the officer arrives to the alarm location. Keep the verification, cancellation instructions and monitoring company phone numbers hidden, but accessible.

To prevent false alarms:

• Secure all doors and windows before arming the system.
• Be ready before arming the system. If you set the alarm and remember something, turn the alarm off, get what you forgot, and then re-arm the system.
• Know the system and share that knowledge with those who need to know. If you give someone a key to your property, then give them a code and instructions to operate the alarm system.
• If going out of town, inform your alarm company of an alternate contact for that time frame.
• Make sure everyone in the home or business has manually operated the alarm system, knows any codes necessary, and understands what to do if any should accidentally activate it.
• Keep the system maintained. Change batteries once a year and keep sensors dust-free.
• Make sure that rooms with motion sensors are free of pets, wind, party decorations, or anything else that can activate them by accident
• Test the alarm system at least once a month to confirm that it is in correct working order. If you have any doubts call the alarm company immediately for service. When testing the alarm do not forget to first notify the alarm monitoring company.

What can I do to assist the police?

• Make sure the house or business numbers are easily visible from the street, day and night. If you have an address that is difficult to find, be sure to give specific driving directions to the alarm monitoring company.
• Be sure the alarm company decal is located near the front door and is easily visible.
• Have a current list of at least two contacts on file with the police department.

Police Response False Alarm Fee Schedule:

During a calendar year the following fee structure will apply:

**Note** Each Response is billed separately and the fees are not combined.  Please return the invoice with the payment to ensure proper credit.

Contact:

Alarm Administrator
770.513.5117
AlarmRegistration@gwinnettcounty.com
Online Alarm Registration Application

Links:

• Gwinnett County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 34 – Emergency Management and Emergency Services, Article III – Alarm Systems
• The National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association
• False Alarm Reduction Association (FARA)
• Security Industry Alarm Coalition