During the past three years, the Oakland Police Department has handled more than 70,000 alarm calls, 98 percent of which were false.

So the City of Oakland has taken steps to cut down on wasted time and resources, officials reported this week.

The effort is two pronged. First, all alarm owners must register with the city for an alarm permit. The annual fee for permits is $25 for home users and $35 for commercial users. Each year, users will receive renewal notices 30 days prior to permit expiration. According to officials, 13,000 alarm users have already registered.

Second, there is a penalty of $84 for a general false alarm and $156 for a false panic alarm. If police respond to an alarm and discover the facility has no permit, there is an additional $70 fee.

Police will not assess fees if the alarm is canceled by the monitoring company before an officer arrives.

The Oakland City Council passed the ordinance regarding alarm permits last July.

See a list of frequently asked questions here.

Oakland has contracted with ATB Services to manage the False Alarm Reduction Program. More information, including the ordinance itself, is available at www.atbservices.com/oakland. Call 866-950-9902 for further help.

About Emilie Raguso

Emilie Raguso is a multimedia reporter in Oakland who focuses on issues of criminal justice, food and Oakland culture. She is passionate about social media, documentary photography and sustainable living. Her work has appeared on Salon and NPR, as well as in The Modesto Bee, Greater Good magazine and the East Bay Express. Write her at eraguso@gmail.com, follow her on Twitter (@emraguso) and see more of her work at http://raguso.us.