Ohio Town Passes Ordinance
The Edgewood, Ohio, city council recently passed a new ordinance aimed at reducing bogus alarm and 911 dispatches. Under the new regulation, residents and businesses are not allowed more than two false alarms or 911 calls in a given 30-day period, or more than five in a year. Each violation is punishable by a fine ranging from $25 to $300, with the fines increasing incrementally as violations mount.

 
R.I. Town’s Penalty Takes Effect
Middletown, R.I., police will now be fining residents whose alarm systems consistently issue false alarms. The new ordinance, which was approved by the Middletown Town Council in 2005, took effect Jan. 1. The law permits single-family residences up to three free false alarms during a six-month period, after which fines will be levied ranging from $50 to $100 each. Commercial properties and multifamily residences will also incur similar penalties.

Verified Response Debated in Dallas
The Dallas Police Department says the city’s verified response policy resulted in the number of alarms calls dropping from 49,355 in March 2005 to 30,576 in November 2006. However, the North Texas Alarm Association (NTAA) insists those numbers by themselves do not accurately reflect the full impact of verified response on crime.  According to Chris Russell of NTAA, 2006 saw a 3-percent increase in business burglaries.

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