Ordinance could fine homeowners for false alarms
Council asks to make penalties less severe than proposed by P.D.
BY CHRIS MURINO Staff Writer
Capt. Harry Delgado and South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond Hayducka recently introduced an ordinance in front of the Township Council that would place more stringent penalties on owners of alarm systems that are triggered falsely.

Under the current law, a homeowner cannot be fined until the sixth false alarm. This ordinance would allow people to be fined the first time it happens.

"Everyone would be responsible from the first alarm," Delgado said.

Delgado said false alarms are detrimental to the police department because they have to allocate resources toward deploying police officers.

"According to the national figures, and these are accurate figures, an alarm requires about 20 minutes of police time per officer," Delgado said. "We send two officers. Depending on the salary range nationally, this costs between $36 and $100 per alarm."

The South Brunswick Police Department responded to about 3,700 alarms last year, and, according to the national average, 94 percent to 98 percent of alarms are false. Delgado said that South Brunswick falls right in line with this national average.

"If most of the alarms were real, we wouldn't be talking," Delgado said. "It wouldn't be a problem. Responding to alarms is a different type of call. It's a high-priority, high-risk call. The likelihood of injury is significantly higher."

Councilman Joseph Camarota said he understands why this ordinance is being proposed but wants it to be toned down a little.

"It's a little egregious in terms of the fines," Camarota said. "There are always extenuating circumstances. I would like the police chief to be the administrator."

At the council meeting, Hayducka indicated that he would have full discretion over when to apply the fines and would be open to not fining a person if the circumstances do not warrant it.

Delgado said that after a homeowner has a first false alarm, he or she would go to an "online school" to learn how to use his or her alarm system properly. The online program would be free and is embedded into the ordinance.

"People should know [how to use it] when they purchase the equipment," Delgado said.

The issue was discussed at the June 3 and June 10 council meetings. If the ordinance were passed, there would be a very comprehensive educational component to notify people of the changes in the law, said Delgado. It would most likely go into effect January 2009, if it were approved by the council.