Tuesday, Jun. 24, 2008
False alarms will cost residents, businesses
Police, fire departments want public to stop wasting time and resources
By Corey Pride / cpride@losbanosenterprise.com
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ReprintThe Los Baños Police Department and the city's fire personnel are pursuing an ordinance designed to curb the number of false alarms received from homes and businesses.
The law being proposed would require alarm system owners to register the devices with the police every two years and pay what will likely be escalating fines for each false alarm police respond to after the third such incident.
"This is something that occurs on a regular basis in quite a number of cities as a result of false alarms. You've probably heard some cities talking about their unwillingness to respond to some of these alarms after a while because of the owner's or alarm company's failure to fix various alarms," Gallagher said at last week's City Council meeting.
In 2007 the Los Baños Police Department responded to 2,279 calls generated by alarm systems being triggered. In the first four months of this year 775 alarm reports have commanded attention from law enforcement. While the department did not provide information on how many false alarms it responded to in the past 18 months, a staff report does state 179 responses in 2007 were to locations police had to visit three or more times. Two locations had 21 responses, Gallagher said.
"If we have a constant problem where we're going all the time and there's really not an emergency happening, it leaves the rest of the city open," Gallagher said.
The ordinance being proposed would require anyone with a security alarm for a business or residence to register the device every two years for a $25 fee. If emergency services personnel respond to more than three false alarms within 12 months a fee will be charged. Gallagher is still researching how much the fee will be for each false alarm after the third one. He said he will take emergency services staff time in account in coming up with the amount of the fines.
Mayor Tommy Jones said he supports the ordinance but disagrees with the registration fee.
"I'm having a question about seniors who've done nothing wrong having to come up with a $25 fee," Jones said.
He said if a person violates the false alarm ordinance before they register their alarm again he could see the reasoning for asking for $25 every two years because they are costing the city money.
Gallagher said, based on the mayor's concerns, the ordinance will ask for an initial $25 registration fee and alarm owners will only be charged for re-registering if they have violated the ordinance.
Registering alarms every two years is necessary so police can have the most up-to-date information, Gallagher said.
The proposed ordinance will be presented to the council again in the next few weeks. The second version will include fine amounts.
Gallagher said after the ordinance passes residents will be notified through their utility bills about registration deadlines.
Enterprise staff writer Corey Pride can be reached at 826-3831 ext. 106 or cpride@losbanosenterprise.com