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Newark, NJ, False Alarm Ordinance for Vote on 6/23

Newark, NJ, businesses and homeowners could be forced to upgrade their automatic alarm systems 
if City Council approves a proposed false alarm ordinance slated for a final vote on June 
23.

“The city has a large number of false alarm calls that can take our officers away from 
their other duties for a good 20 minutes or so,” said Newark Police Cpl. John Potts, who 
authored the proposed ordinance. “Most of them are caused by employee error or a simple 
malfunction.”

In addition to draining police resources, false alarms can also put an officer in danger, 
Potts said.

“When you respond to the same false alarm call time after time, you start to assume it’s 
the same old story,” he said. “Over time, an officer can begin to let their guard down 
and that’s when they are most in danger of being surprised.”

If approved, the new law would establish a $10 a year registration fee for all automatic 
alarms systems, plus another $10 a year fee if the system includes a panic or robbery 
alarm.

As a part of registering their systems, alarm owners also would be required to submit 
pertinent information about their system and the company that monitors the alarm.


According to the proposed ordinance, alarm owners would be permitted four false alarms in 
a 12-month period, after which they would be fined $100 for the fifth false alarm, $150 
for the sixth and $200 for every false alarm thereafter.

After the seventh false alarm, the police department would be authorized to suspend the 
owner’s registration, thereby making it illegal to re-arm the system without permission 
from the city.

Alarm owners also would be required to pay to have a licensed company inspect their 
system after the first two false alarms in a 12-month period.

The proposal defines a false alarm as any automated request for police services when 
there is no emergency or criminal activity requiring an immediate response.

Exceptions would be made for alarms sounded by an individual who believes they are in 
danger, as a result of weather, an action by a telephone company, or a power outage 
lasting four hours or more.

The proposal also would limit audible alarms to a 10-minute duration. If an alarm sounds 
for more than an hour, the police department would be authorized to disconnect the alarm 
system and charge a $100 service fee.

All fines and registration suspensions issued under the proposed law could be appealed to 
the city alderman.

Potts said the ordinance is modeled after state law.

“From our standpoint, the city’s current alarm statue has been cumbersome to enforce,” he 
said. “Our intent is to streamline the enforcement, as well as our administration of the 
law.”