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River Forrest, IL, Board Rejects Permitting of Alarm Systems

There was little support Monday night among River Forest, IL, village trustees to impose a permit fee for burglar alarms at village homes and businesses. 

River Forest Police Chief Frank Limon Monday night suggested the permit fee and a fine for excessive false alarms at homes and businesses. Limon suggested the fee and fine to try to recover the costs incurred by the department for false alarms. 

Limon suggested a $50 initial permit fee along with a $25 annual renewal fee to help defray data entry costs to the village. He also suggested a $50 fine for homes or businesses with four or more false alarms to reduce their incidence. 

If put in place in 2008, according to information Limon provided to trustees, the $50 false alarm fine would have recovered about $15,000 for the department. 

"About 18 percent of our alarm users were responsible for nearly 50 percent of our activations," Limon said. 

Each alarm requires two squad cars to respond, Limon said. Officers remain on the scene for 20 to 30 minutes making sure all is secure. That's half the force on the street during the day, Limon said, two-thirds late at night. 

"Keep in mind that most of them are false and unfounded calls," Limon said. "Add the fire department to those types of calls, and you're also looking at additional resources that are really being wasted going to those calls." 

But there was not much appetite among trustees to impose a permit fee or fine. Trustee Catherine Adduci said she was concerned the fee was more punitive than necessary. A fee could be a disincentive for residents to purchase an alarm system, she said. 

"I understand it's a revenue enhancer, but I'm not sure it's a good one," she said. 

Trustee Michael Gibbs was concerned people would choose to instead deactivate their alarm systems. Perhaps the village should have something in place for people who have five or more false alarms in a year, he said, but fining people because of false alarms was not agreeable. 

Having an alarm activate and knowing the police will come on the scene is comforting to residents, Village President John Rigas said. There was a crime spree through town several years ago, and residents were concerned about their safety. 

Rigas said he understood such fees were common in other towns, but he was not more supportive of the idea. 

"I understand it takes police officers off the street doing one thing or another," Rigas said. "But there's nothing more comforting than the response you get with that."