High fines and misdemeanors for false alarms in N.Y.!

[SIW Editor]

Suffolk County, N.Y. is creating a new standard for the fines levied upon false alarms, with a fee that starts at a whopping $350, and possibility of a misdemanor and jail time on nuisance/false alarm responses after the fourth alarm.

http://www.securityinfowatch.com/article/article.jsp?id=3081&siteSection=302

Do you think this is outrageous? Are you seeing dramatic fine increases in your hometown? What does this mean for you as an alarm dealer or as a security end user?

[TX Alarm Dealer]

Re: High fines and misdemeanors for false alarms in N.Y.!

As long as the alarm industry rolls over and plays dead with these elected officials and their escapades this will happen more and more. It's time to take a stand not of cooperation, but one of offense. Hold their feet to the fire! How long do they take to respond? How many times has an actual burg been classified as a false alarm? How are they spending the alarm permit money? How are they spending the taxpayers money in general? Stop this insanity and go after those who are the real criminals of society.

[Bill Warnock]

Re: High fines and misdemeanors for false alarms in N.Y.!

As long as alarms are installed in a haphazard manner, with little or no thought of what type of sensor goes where the problem will exist. In many instances, owner education is a joke. Put yourself in the position of the responder, the police officer or sheriff deputy who spends unnecessary time away from other duties to answer nuisance or false alarms.
As long as we are dumb enough to run low voltage and 120/240 wiring in the same channel, we deserve the black eye and the scorn of city and county law enforcement departments.
Enjoy the day,
Bill Warnock

[bdavis]

Re: High fines and misdemeanors for false alarms in N.Y.!

I agree with Bill. I was formerly an Alarm Responder and now work as a manager of a leading secuirty technology firm. Most B&E type crimes are conducted in under 5 minutes. From the time the alarm system activates to the time a response is dispatched is on average, approx. 4 mins. So based on that, even if the alarm is an "actual" the responders would arrive to find broken glass and missing assets. So why send the Police right away. There are many private security companies who provide alarm investigation or inspection services where they will go to the site of an alarm and physically verify that there is a need for police. I've worked for several security companies manging this function, and many times suspects were caught.

Our Police forces in both the US and Canada need to concentrate on Policing issues. In my view, on a global basis, the protection of our societies have some what shifted. More and more private security is taking on the role of prevention, investigation, and crime on property, leaving the police agencies to concentrate on People crimes, such as murders, assaults, etc. Business and Home owners need to take the time to understand what these types of inititives are trying to achieve. The Police are there to protect us and yes our property too, but we need to take more responsibility for protecting our own material posessions or put up with the tax hikes that will be required for our governments to do so.

But thats just my opinion.