Alton, Ill. passes alarm ordinance Requires registration, fines for false alarms
By SSN Staff
Updated Fri February 19, 2010
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ALTON, Ill.—A Feb. 10 story from The Telegraph.com reported officials in the city of Alton, Ill., passed a resolution via a 5-1 vote that would amend a city ordinance to require alarm companies to file a yearly form with the police chief, among other requirements in a 19-page ordinance.
Any such business operating in Alton would be required to have at least one staff member complete certification training at first, then all workers within a year's time. Customers would be instructed in preventing false alarms and would pay the company a fee when they first subscribe to the service. The cost will be $25 for residences and $50 for commercial customers.
The fees will go to the city.
Alarms will be required to have standby batteries to prevent false alarms, and new systems cannot go directly to the Alton Police Department. In the event of a second false alarm within a year's time, the subscriber would have to pay a fee of $25. The third and fourth such false alarms within 12 months would cost $50 each. After the fourth such alarm within a year, the police chief can suspend the service for 30 days.
Aldermen also voted 5-1 in favor of an agreement with Municipal Dynamics to handle alarm registration and manage false alarms.
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