Spanish Fork mulls false-alarm ordinance
By SSN Staff
Updated Wed February 10, 2010
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SPANISH FORK, Utah—A Feb. 3 story from the Deseret News website False alarms are costing taxpayers far too much, Spanish Fork Police Chief Dee Rosenbaum says, and he's asking city leaders to consider charging repeat offenders up to $200 for each incident.
The police and fire departments respond to hundreds of false alarms annually, Rosenbaum said, costing the department an estimated $79,000 a year. False alarms increase liability for the emergency responders and have resulted in accidents.
Under a proposed new ordinance, police would start keeping track of false-alarm repeat offenders, something they don't do now.
The ordinance, similar to one passed in Orem, would require alarm companies, businesses and residents to register their alarms with the police department. The first three false alarms in a calendar year would get off with a warning. The fourth false alarm would cost the owner $50; the fifth, $75; and the sixth through the ninth, $100 each. Ten or more false alarms in a year would carry a fine of $200 each, Rosenbaum said.
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