New Haven Independent

Posted by: City Hall Watch | January 7, 2010 11:13 AM

Another day, another scheme to fine taxpayers and residents of New Haven for a service we already pay for through extraordinary taxes, fines and fees. Did anyone from the PD tell the bank to get their alarm fixed? Was it actually broken?

Let's just clear something up here too. Responding to what ends up being a false alarm does not cost $500K a year. The cops are already on patrol and they simply roll over and see what's happening just as they do with any other call. What would the patrolman be doing if he wasn't checking out a false alarm?

Posted by: Bob | January 7, 2010 11:28 AM

The alarm company could have neighbors check on the alarm before calling police? That's all well and good for the 99 times that the alarm is false, but what about the one time that there's a break in, and the intruder is armed, and shoots and kills the neighbor? Heads will roll, and somebody will be dead, all because the city wants to save a buck

Posted by: ecd | January 7, 2010 2:27 PM

It is about time!! My neighbor's alarm goes off for approximately 4 hours every other week when the cleaning crew comes in, and the police are required to respond any time someone from the neighborhood reports it. The last time this happened the police said they had come to the house 5 times in one afternoon. The owners need to be held responsible for this waste of resources. I want my tax dollars to go to work making our neighborhoods safer, not chasing down the false alarms of wealthy, irresponsible homeowners.

Posted by: Popeye | January 8, 2010 12:10 AM

Don’t blame the cops, blame your alarm suppliers. Remember, alarm systems are private contracts for private service from private firms. Police are not part of the contract. Nearly all calls for help from alarm monitoring firms simply mean they want “help” to complete their monitoring process with a free site inspection….. to determine IF it is an emergency, not because of an emergency. Said differently, the alarm industry technology is so outdated and sloppy that nearly all site inspections (police response) are unnecessary. A nationwide false alarm epidemic is solved by “zero tolerance programs”.... a fee for all site inspections, no gifts. Maybe even fine the monitoring firm for calling in false police reports. If your alarm supplier continues to abuse your police department, change alarm suppliers...don't blame the cops

Posted by: paulienh | January 8, 2010 2:24 AM

I guess we should all remove our alarms so we won't receive a fine, that way we can come home and surprise someone in our house and get injured ...How much will that cost how many police will it take to figure that crime out, not to mention ems and fire dept personnel oh that's right we get billed separately from the fire dept for the ride to the hospital with a paramedic....

Posted by: Common Sense | January 8, 2010 3:04 PM

What about homeowners who have an alarm system that is not monitored by an alarm company and have never had an alarm triggered for a false reason. The NHPD office of crime prevention many years ago had a system in place where everyone that registered their alarm would receive a decal for the front door with a number assigned on it to identify the owner of the building. Why was that system abandoned? Everyone received a notice each year to send in a nominal annual registration fee and update any changes. That system worked. There are still many homes with the ID decal on the front door. Are they now invalid. Must they reregister their alarm? I would think that everyone previously registered in the NHPD data base would receive some kind of communication regarding the ordinance passed by the Board of Aldermen this past November. Just asking. Who will answer?