The city council in Raleigh, N.C., has approved a new false
alarm structure that could mean as much as a $500 fine for
a false alarm call and also calls for voluntary verified
response among alarm owners. Following a free ride after
the first false alarm within a calendar year, an alarm
owner will be fined $50 for a second false dispatch.
The fine goes up with each false alarm, with a $500 fine
for the 10th false call and each one after that.
The new ordinance also contains a provision that urges
residents to make sure their alarm companies verify each
alarm before authorities are dispatched to answer it.
However, it does not mandate that an alarm must be
verified.
Earlier this week,
Milwaukee became the
largest U.S. city to enact a total verified response
policy, where officers only respond to an alarm after
it has been confirmed by someone on-site.
