posted on Friday, February 29, 2008 9:50 AM
by
klehan
Fines Now Five Times Higher in Santa Cruz, CA, for False Alarms
Calling police to a bogus emergency in Santa Cruz, CA, is going to hurt business owners' pocketbooks. The Police Department has significantly upped the fine for getting called out to false alarms.
False alarm fines are currently $25 after a third call and any subsequent calls within 30 days.
Fines are rising to $125 for any business that sounds a false alarm twice in the same calendar year. The fine goes up to $250 for the third false alarm in a year and $500 for the fourth and any subsequent false alarm.
Police officials say the department's fees lagged behind other area cities such as Capitola, which charges $100 for the third false alarm in a year. The county Sheriff's Office charges $50 for the second false alarm.
Raising the rate should motivate business owners to fix and maintain their alarm systems, said city leaders who approved the increases Tuesday.
"It's important to make sure the alarm is working correctly," Councilwoman Emily Reilly said. "This seems quite reasonable to me and the other business owners I've talked to."
Exemptions will be made for alarms set off by storm activity or power outages.
The new fines are aimed at businesses, not residential alarms.