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Alarm billing begins June 1
Published Saturday, May 23, 2009
The days of free false alarms are nearly over in Suffolk, as the city prepares to begin enforcing a code section enacted a year ago in an effort to reduce the burden that false alarms cause on the city’s emergency services systems.
Suffolk administrators this week sought to remind alarm system owners in the city that come June 1, they will be charged if their alarms goes off needlessly.
The false alarm ordinance, passed in May 2008, requires alarm system owners to pay $25 to register their systems with the city and to pay a fee for each false alarm — after the first one — that occurs during the registration period.
Suffolk staff members have identified approximately 5,900 alarm owners in the city, but not all have registered their systems, said city spokeswoman Debbie George. If police respond to a false alarm from an unregistered alarm system, the user could be charged $100 for operating an unregistered alarm.
“Our goal is to get everyone registered, so if a homeowner is unregistered, we will consider waiving the unregistered alarm fee, if the owner complies with registration requirements,” said Suffolk Police Capt. Stephanie Burch.
The city hopes to reduce the amount of false alarm calls it receives by at least 50 percent through the use of the program. About 95 percent of all alarm calls the city receives are false. Suffolk Police hope that the reduction in false alarm calls will free up time for officers to respond to legitimate calls for assistance and do more proactive policing.
Alarm system owners are asked to register their alarm systems with Alarm Tracking and Billing Services, even if they have not received a notice in the mail. Visit www.ATBServices.com/Suffolk to register, or call Burch at 514-7930 for more information.
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Posted by joew (anonymous) on May 24, 2009 at 10:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I really don't think folks are purposefully setting off false alarms just to aggravate the police or have the police come to their homes. So why are they going to be punished for having an alarm? I wonder what the statistics are for the amount of false alarms received after a fee is put in place? It's probably pretty close. I'm not disconnecting my alarm because of the fee, but some people may. I already know some folks that are turning off their alarms for fear of not being able to pay the fees.... so if someone breaks in and harms them..is that what the city and police department want to happen?
What about statistics that show a drop in homes with alarms that are burglarized. I would bet money that more homes would be burglarized in the city if they did not have alarms installed...which means the police would spend more time investigating burglaries...
I see there is a fee for a false panic alarm? Wow, my elderly parent wears one of the panic alarms and has a fixed income, I sure hope she won't be afraid to push the button or take the time to figure out what the city feels is a "false alarm".....You would think that the city would want their citizens as safe as possible. In my opinion, it seems this fee is just a way for the city to make money.
Posted by joew (anonymous) on May 24, 2009 at 10:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
To add to this, I understand that the city has the option of canceling your alarm service after 5 false alarms in a 12 month period?? Is that correct?? The city can decide whether or not I have the right to feel safe in my home??
There are many things that can cause false alarms...trust me, I would never set off my alarm for no reason, I certainly don't want to cause the police to have to respond to any call for no reason....I fully support the job our officers do here in the city.... but to tell me I have to cut off my alarm after 5 false calls, which in my case includes a fire monitor and panic alarm, a system I instaIled for my family to feel safe, I have to honestly say that really "alarms" me !!
Is this true?
Posted by OD (anonymous) on May 24, 2009 at 11:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Joe, its not a fee. It's a tax. You make some valid points and questions.
I ask how long will it be before the city installs cameras at interesections? That to will be another soucre to generate revenues also known as fines. Money that becomes "public" money generated by a private concern who will share in those revenues....
Posted by firfight101 (anonymous) on May 25, 2009 at 9:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
OK. So we have to pay New Fees for trash pickup, For Fire and Medical Ambulance service. for the Police to come to our house , Taxes! . Real estate , personal property, phone, TV, gas tax, heating tax, electric tax, cell phone tax, and what ever else you have. so in any of this there is no double Taxation? oh yea unemplyment , oh yea payroll tax,
Food tax, fishing licence Tax, hunting licence Tax, Saltwater fishing Tax, water tax, well hu can they tax the air. Bet thats what the wind mills will be for.
Posted by suffolk3 (anonymous) on May 25, 2009 at 11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This program is designed to reduce false alarms and recover some of the costs to dispatch the police department. One of my many issues with this ordinance is that it only applies to the police. What about the fire department? When the fire department is dispatched, they don't send just one vehicle - they send several units (a good thing). I bet that costs more than two police cruisers. I'm not saying they should add fire/medical false alarms to the ordinance, just that council, once again, listened to only one group when they enacted law. It won't be long until we hear that ATB 'preyed' upon another victim/city.
Posted by OD (anonymous) on May 25, 2009 at 9:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
First responders, we are to pay a penality or a FINE B.S???
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