posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 10:20 AM
by
klehan
Garden City, MI, Mulls New Alarm Ordinance
Because false alarms cause misuse of public safety response time and money, the Garden
City, MI, Police Department has proposed a revision to the city's false alarm ordinance.
There were 446 alarms classified as false in 2008 and there have been 308 alarms classified as false through Aug. 31, 2009. Police Chief Kim Scott cited the “worst repeat offender” in 2009 as Kmart at 29600 Ford.
Kmart Manager Pat Spruille said Friday that the store hasn't had a false alarm “for a while.”
“We haven't had one for quite some time,” she said. “They call us at home.”
The weather and the store's motion detectors can set off an alarm, she said, adding that she didn't know the proposed false alarm amendment was on the Sept. 21 council agenda.
“Many cities already charge a fine,” Spruille said.
Scott said that the “worst repeat offender” in 2008 was Imperial Hobbies at 30990 Ford Road. The police department didn't provide exact numbers of false alarms for these two businesses, and a call to Imperial Hobbies indicated that the telephone was disconnected.
The proposal that Garden City Council expects to approve is to begin charging $85 per false alarm for four or more false alarms in a calendar year. A public hearing is scheduled at 6:58 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, at Garden City Hall.
In an Aug. 17 memo to City Manager David Harvey, Scott said that the idea is to promote “responsible use of security alarm systems. The idea is to reduce the problem, and businesses would get a grace period of up to three false alarms.”
“Fines should discourage error, but not be cost-prohibitive,” Scott said.
Acts of God, including violent natural conditions like storms and high winds and utility company failures, are not considered false alarms, she said.
The program would be administered on a calendar year basis rather than a rolling 12-month cycle.
In January, the alarm user's record would be reset to zero.
Scott added that the program takes into account reduced staffing. It will be “cooperatively managed” between the Police Department and the City Clerk's office, she said.