Pembroke Pines, Fla. votes in new alarm ordinance
By SSN Staff
Updated Thu July 22, 2010
PEMBROKE PINES, Fla.--A July 13 story from The Miami Herald reported that starting July 15 the city began imposing $100 fines each time police respond to an alarm that isn't a valid emergency.
"False alarms are a costly waste of taxpayers' money and a major public-safety concern as they divert police officers from real emergencies and delay the response time for more critical calls," Pembroke Pines police Sgt. John Grazzano said in a statement.
Until now, Pembroke Pines police have never charged homeowners or businesses whose security systems were falsely triggered.
The new ordinance requires Pembroke Pines residents and business owners to register, for free, their alarm systems with the city and renew that registration annually.
The first two false alarms at a single address will draw no fines, but the third and subsequent false alarms in a 12-month period will trigger the $100 fines.
If police respond to an unregistered alarm, the owner will have 30 days to register it or face an additional $50 fine.
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