Increases in false alarms have resulted in the Virginia Beach, Va., City Council to raise false alarm fines from $25 to $150-$250. The city also is considering requiring all alarm owners to obtain a $10 permit to register with the police department.
The increases, which kick in on the third false call, likely will take effect early next year, according to The Virginian-Pilot. The council still needs to approve the mandatory registration.
All existing alarms will have to be registered. Residents and businesses who do not register their alarm systems will be placed on a “do not respond” list, according to police.
Police responded to 22,231 false alarms over a 12-month period in 2006 and 2007, a figure equivalent to 11,000 hours of manpower. Burglar alarms generate many calls, and repeat offenders are drains on time, police say.
