Commissioners eying ordinance charging alarm owners fees » Local & Bistate » News From Terre Haute, Indiana
TERRE HAUTE — In an attempt to reduce excessive false alarms, the Vigo County Board of Commissioners is considering a county ordinance that would charge fees to all alarm owners. the proposed ordinance would apply only to residents and businesses outside Terre Haute, which has an existing ordinance. the county ordinance would require any person using an alarm system to first obtain a permit. the one-time fee is $30 for a residence, $50 for business, $100 for alarm company and $25 for alarm agent. Failure to “register and obtain a permit may result in no law enforcement response to an unregistered alarm,” the ordinance states. Exemptions include seniors over age 65, people with a permanent disability residing in a residence, government agencies and educational facilities. the ordinance establishes that three or more false alarms annually is excessive, constitutes a public nuisance and would become unlawful. Penalties for county police responding to more than two false alarms is $50 for the third, fourth and fifth alarm. the sixth and seventh alarms would carry a fine of $100. the eighth and subsequent false alarms would result in fines of $250. In addition, the ordinance would charge a $100 fine for unlawful equipment, such as an audible alarm system that can sound continually for more than 10 minutes or an automatic dial protection device that reports or causes to be reported any recorded message to the Vigo County Sheriff’s Department. the ordinance also prohibits activating an alarm system to summon law enforcement when no burglary, robbery or other crime dangerous to life or property is being committed or attempted on a premise. the ordinance also establishes a $50 fine for failure to surrender a permit. the civil penalties would have to be paid within 30 days from billing. Failure to pay could result in law enforcement not responding to alarm signals, the ordinance states. the Vigo County Sheriff’s Department is responsible for administering the ordinance and collecting the fees. Monies collected would be placed in a non-reverting alarm control fund and “used specifically for the administration costs, fuel, vehicle maintenance and equipment” of the sheriff’s department. Sheriff Greg Ewing said that the sheriff’s department responded to 1,611 alarm calls last year. there were 22 bank alarms; 707 business alarms; 95 hold-up panic alarms; and 787 residential alarms. “the average time to complete a call for a residential alarm is 21 minutes, which equates to 275.5 hours last year” that deputies spent responding to such alarms, Ewing said. the average time to respond to a business alarm is 19 minutes, equating to 223.8 hours of service last year, Ewing said. when responding to burglar alarms, the county sends two units. one unit may often be called off after it is determined to be a false alarm. however, the response costs the county fuel expense and time, the sheriff said. Often times, the problem is because of a faulty alarm system or perhaps animals inside a home that trigger a motion detector, the sheriff said. “After 10 or more calls, it is like the boy who cries wolf. Eventually, we are not running as hard to an alarm,” the sheriff said. “we have sent letters and put notices on doors. unfortunately sometimes you have to get attention elsewhere, and a citation may prompt them to make sure an alarm system is inspected and working,” the sheriff said. the ordinance also creates a “government immunity” stating that “alarm registration is not intended to, nor will it, create a contract, duty or obligation, either expressed or implied, of response. Any and all liability and consequential damage resulting from the failure to respond to a notification is hereby disclaimed and governmental immunity is provided by law is retained.” the response to alarms may be influenced by availability of patrol units, priority of calls, weather conditions, traffic conditions, emergency conditions, staffing levels and prior response history, the ordinance states. a public hearing is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Vigo County Annex, first and Oak Streets, after which commissioners can either approve or reject the ordinance. Howard Greninger can be reached at (812) 231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com.
