posted on Monday, June 29, 2009 9:49 AM
by
klehan
Lady Lake, FL, Enacts New Alarm Ordinance
Burglary alarms are going off in rising numbers in Lady Lake, and a lot of those are false alarms.
Lady Lake, FL, town commissioners voted 5-0 this week to implement an ordinance to address bogus beeps and rings, by setting a $50 fine for false alarms that police respond to.
The ordinance only applies to businesses and churches, which the police chief said account for at least 75 percent of alarms in the town.
However, owners and lessees of the structures do get some reprieve. They are allotted four false alarms within a calendar year, with the $50 fine being leveled on the fifth and subsequent false alarms.
Police Chief Ed Nathanson said law enforcement officers deal with alarms on a daily basis, and each one must be treated as if it were valid.
"Aside from being time consuming and tying up responding officers, it is also an area that creates a liability for the town and community alike," the chief said. "The ever increasing number of false alarms simply had to be addressed in a proactive endeavor to curtail them."
The town also will level a $50 fine if someone fails to show up to the structure to shut off the alarm within 30 minutes of being notified by police.
The ordinance passed Monday after a second reading. Initially, the fine was $75 for each false alarm after the first one.
Defendants can appeal the decision. A magistrate can waive the fine upon request in instances such a lightning, power lines or any "good cause" that might have resulted in a false alarm.
Nathanson said the new ordinance should not make businesses more reluctant to install alarm systems.
"Not if they are professional and responsible," he said.