Members of the Board of Selectmen in Somerset, R.I., have indicated that they would be in favor of increasing fines if police must respond to an unregistered alarm, according to the Providence Journal. The policy would not apply to personal panic alarms since they are treated as a medical emergency.
With some 40 homeowners still refusing to register their alarms with the town, city officials are hoping the fine increase will send a message. “I’m very comfortable starting the fines at $500,” says Selectwoman Eleanor Gagnon. The registration process gives the police access to the phone numbers of homeowners and to people who can turn off an alarm.
The current fine is $25 once a fourth false alarm has been documented by the police in one year. For the fifth, sixth and seventh false alarms, a $50 fine is imposed for each incident. Finally, a $100 fine is given out per incident after that.
