CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The city of Coral Gables has approved the “Quick Response Burglary Prevention Program” in an effort to increase police response times to residential burglaries.
Passed Sept. 23, the new program allows city residents to authorize their alarm company to immediately contact the Coral Gables Police Department for dispatch if the homeowner does not answer on the security firm’s first try, Miami Herald reports.
Prior to the new ordinance, alarm companies were required to contact the homeowner, then up to two other numbers provided to reach the alarm user, and then police.
City officials were prompted to change the ordinance after residents complained about burglaries this summer. Police said that enhanced call verification created an artificial delay in officer response times to residential intrusion incidents, thus hindering the catching of criminals.
The proposed ordinance also “provides residents with a potential legal cause of action against those alarm businesses which fail to comply with the terms of this emergency ordinance,” according to a memo by City Attorney Craig Leen.
Residents enrolled in the program will not be charged for the first four alarms in one calendar year. Non-participants will only get two free false alarms in one calendar year.
Following the free false alarm, homeowners will be fined $60, then $110 for the next, and $210 for subsequent alarms.
Enrollment for the Quick Response Burglary Prevention Program is free of charge.
