New false alarm ordinance in Anne Arundel County, Md.
By SSN Staff
Updated Mon June 29, 2009
ANNAPOLIS, Md.--A June 19 story from HometownAnnapolis.com a new Anne Arundel County false alarm ordinance will take affect in mid August. Alarm system owners will be allowed three false calls in a year, after which they can expect a $50 ticket from county police. Continued false dispatches will result in fines of up to $250 for each false alarm.
Any business or residence with an alarm system will be required to register it with the police department or face a fine.
Authorities say the measure is not aimed at raising revenue, but at freeing up man hours.
At least 12 other jurisdictions in Maryland have similar laws to help curb false alarms. The often-cited example among police officials across the country is nearby Montgomery County, which saved $1.7 million in police resources in 2006 through its reduction program, according to the False Alarm Reduction Association.
The new ordinance softens a proposal from last year to crack down on the false alarms, which required a fee for registering alarm systems and carried much stiffer penalties for repeat false alarms—as much as $1,000 for each false alarm that summons police.
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