BELLEVUE, Wash. – Alarm owners here are now required to register with the city’s independent contractor in order to monitor false alarm activations, the frequency of which will now mean fines for residents and businesses.
RELATED: Habitec Security Wins PDQ Award for Reducing False Alarms
The city council on May 4 approved a four-year contract with AOT Public Safety Corp. to manage Bellevue’s program, which requires alarm owners to pay an annual $25 registration fee – $12 for seniors and the disabled – and a $100 fine for a false alarm. Panic, silent, robbery, burglary and duress false alarm calls will result in a $200 fine.
RELATED: Video Plays Verifiable Role in Alarm Response
Under a false alarm ordinance adopted by the council in December, an alarm awareness class may be taken to avoid the first fine. Alarm companies also are required to call a homeowner two times when an alarm is activated.
RELATED: Upselling Intrusion Detection Technology
The city reports an annual average of 3,300 false alarm calls and 3,871 in 2014, which amounted to $125,000 in police staff time, according to a city news release. Enacting penalties for false alarms is expected to reduce these occurrences immensely.
Registration started July 6 and ends Sept. 30. Annual registration is required and can be completed online at www.crywolfservices.com/bellevuewa/. People who register this year, however, will not be required to register again until January 2017. Those who fail to register by deadline face a $100 penalty after 30 days.
