An alarming problem
Nassau County's attempt to curb false alarms has had too many false starts. Finally County Executive Thomas Suozzi seems to have crafted a bill that ensures all automatic calls are answered by the police department, while imposing significant fines on those who repeatedly abuse the system or fail to obtain a permit.
The many versions of the proposed law over the past few months have confused the debate. The burglar alarm bill likely to be considered tomorrow by the legislature targets only the more than 100,000 false automatic alarm calls per year that monitoring stations relay to local police precincts. These calls - wild goose chases 99.4 percent of the time - cost an estimated $6 million a year.
While the revised proposal requires all property owners to obtain an alarm permit, the police will still respond to all calls. After a certain number of false calls, however, fines will be imposed, and the ones for properties without a permit will be steeper. The last stumbling block, the issue of who is responsible for obtaining the permit, has been reasonably resolved: Monitoring companies are not required to obtain permits for their clients, but they also cannot enter into a service contract with non-permitted properties.
This is one issue both Police Benevolent Association chief Gary DelaRaba and Suozzi agree on, but so far Democrats and Republicans can't. The GOP foolishly calls the fines and fees a tax. But it's a better way for police to use their resources
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2007
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