Date: Fri 06-Sep-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

council-false-alarms

Full Text:

Ordinance Panel Recommends New Fee For Security Alarms

B Y S TEVE B IGHAM

If you're a Newtown resident and you own or plan to own a burglar alarm for

your house, you're going to have to pay the town a one-time fee.

The Legislative Council's ordinance committee agreed to recommend the new

requirement to full council, explaining that if residents want extra

protection they're going to have to pay extra money.

The committee also recommended the creation of an appeals board which would

allow residents to challenge fines for false alarms. Previously, the ordinance

said nothing about recourse for residents.

The committee is hoping to avoid what happened to a New York State town which

had its case against a chronic violator overturned in court because it did not

have an appeals process.

The issue of false alarms has been discussed at length recently by the

ordinance committee as law enforcement officials have urged the board to take

a close look at the existing rules on false alarms. The number of false alarms

has grown rapidly in Newtown in recent years, and police believe something has

to be done.

Last year, the town received 2,223 burglar alarms for homes and businesses, of

which 11 were actual burglaries. The rest were false alarms.

Police Chief James Lysaght, Jr said his department responds to an average of

six false alarms a day, which, when added up, accounts for one full-time

office just to check out these bogus calls.

The ordinance committee believes requiring a registration for all alarm owners

will help police better administer the ordinance. Existing alarm owners will

be charged $15, while selectmen will determine a fee for new registrants.

As Chief Lysaght pointed out, education and stiff fines are the best way to

control false calls.

As in the past, the town will continue to allow three false alarms without a

fine at any property within a 12-month period. A $40 fee is charged to the

homeowner on the fourth false alarm.

The Board of Selectmen will continue to establish the amount of the fine.

Last spring, the ordinance committee added a new provision, recommending that

all town departments and the Board of Education be exempt from paying fines

because, as it stated, it would only be shifting money from one governmental

department to another.

Using the information obtained during registration, the police department will

now be able to keep better records on alarm users, including notices to

homeowners that police responded to a false alarm at their home, and the

number of false alarms they have remaining before they have to pay a fine.

Chief Lysaght has made it clear since he took over the local police department

in July that he'd like to address the problem of false alarms.

Though the ordinance committee is winding down its work on the issue,

committee member Lisa Schwartz said she expected more discussion on developing

a system for collecting unpaid fines, an issue that is not currently addressed

in the ordinance.

Committee Chairman Pierre Rochman said he was opposed to charging all alarm

system owners across the board a registration fee, stating that a resident

with an alarm system does not always cost the town more money.

"I don't want to charge everyone who has an alarm system just for having it,"

he explained. "You don't have to pay the town more for having three kids."

The committee chairman even suggested an escalating fine system, which he felt

would be more effective than registration and permits.

Committee member Joe Mahoney pointed out that all residents have equal

protection under the law and if a resident wants an alarm system, other

taxpayers should not be responsible.

Committee members Bill Brimmer and Gail Halapin agreed.

The committee is expected to review the revised ordinance with Town Attorney

Dave Groggins.