Facing a rate of false alarms that accounted for 99.9 percent of the county's 2,839 burglar alarms in 2003, Summit County, Colo., Sheriff John Minor is pushing an ordinance that would raise fees for false alarms, the Summit (Colo.) Daily News reported recently.
The proposed ordinance, which currently only applies to intrusion/burglar alarms, is a result of the Summit False Alarm Task Force, which includes members from the police, sheriff's office, alarm companies, homeowners and the Summit County communications Center - which handles the calls for automated intrusion alarms.
The ordinance would require $50 annually registration of alarms. For registered alarms, the first false alarm in a year is not fined, but the second false alarm costs $75, and the third violation will cost $150. Unregistered systems would face a much steeper fine schedule. The first false alarm in a year is fined $150, second false alarm is charged $500, and any additional false alarms would be fined $1,000 each time.
