Madison, Wis., Looking at Verified Response

May 10, 2006
City drafts a proposed ordinance to curb false alarms

Madison, Wis., is getting ready to fight a problem of false alarms.

The city has reportedly drafted a new ordinance that would go beyond a simple fining of owners of residential or commercial systems that emit false alarm signals. According to Madison PD reports, they are seeing a 97 percent false alarm rate.

The newly proposed ordinance, which has not been enacted, considers verified response as a potential solution.

In a story on WKOW 27 (a local Madison television station), the Madison Police Department's MaryAnn Thurber explained the possible ordinance: "The policy that we're looking at is looking at verified response, which would mean the alarm company that sold the plan to the consumer would be the entity that would go out to establish whether there was a breach."

The city currently has a fine-based ordinance that allows the MPD to fine alarm owners on second and additional false alarms, though WKOW reports that the city has only been charging the fines after the fourth false alarm.