No more freebies on false alarms in St. Johns, Fla.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla.—An April 29 story from the Ponte Vedra Recorder reports that effective immediately, residents with home alarms in St. Johns County will have to register with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office and pay a fee for false alarms.

At the April 20 commission meeting, commissioners approved an ordinance allowing the Sheriff's Office to impose fees for excessive false alarms.

The initial registration fee is $25. The first instance of a false alarm nets a notification letter from the Sheriff's Office, but each subsequent false alarm incurs a $25 penalty. The first fine can be waived for offenders if they attend a training course. After the ninth false alarm, the fine is $125.

May said the previous alarm ordinance, 1978-51, lacked teeth. He said the county looked at fee models from different areas, including the League of Cities, to find one that was successful and could work for St. Johns County.