Ending five months of deliberations, the Nassau County legislature has passed a bill that hikes fines for too many false alarms, while placing responsibility on the installer and home or business owner for getting police alarm permits.
The county police department lobbied vigorously for the legislation. The department says of the 115,000 alarms it responded to in 2005, 99.4 percent of them were false.
Under the new law, which goes into effect in late August, the first four false alarms are free if a three-year police alarm permit has been purchased: $75 for homes; $100 for businesses. After the four freebies, for homes, there is a $75 fine for the fifth and sixth false alarms; the seventh and eighth, $100; the ninth and all subsequent false alarms are $100 plus a $100 surcharge.
Without the permit, though, there is a $75 fine for the first two false alarms; for the third and fourth, $100; fifth and sixth, $100 plus $100 surcharge, and seventh and all subsequent ones, $200 plus $100 surcharge.
Businesses with and without valid permits would be fined similarly, however, the fines are more expensive. Both homes and businesses without permits would have the fines waived if a permit is bought within 30 days of the fine notification.
The new law charges the alarm installer with ensuring the customer has a permit or an application for one before putting in the alarm, and he could be jailed up to 15 days and/or fined $500 for not doing so.
