posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 11:49 AM
by
klehan
Montclair, NJ, Alarm Ordinance ‘Effective,’ Says Township Manager
In New Jersey, township Manager Joseph Hartnett said during his fourth annual report that Montclair’s false alarm reduction program has been effective.
In the 11 months since the municipal government started charging homeowners and business proprietors for false alarms, there has been a 25 percent reduction in false alarms. This reduction of 897 calls “equates to a savings of over 448 man-hours where officers where officers can be assigned to other law enforcement related maters.”
More than 630 business and residents have been fined since the program began.
Hartnett reported that $55,562 in service fees have been paid to the Colorado-based billing company, ATB Services, generating a net income of $225,229, or approximately $15,000 per month.
“This money helps offset the wasted cost of sending officers to respond to false alarms,” Hartnett stated.