New law has reduced
number of false alarms

The law imposes penalties on homes
and business with too many false alarms

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By Nelson Daranciang
ndaranciang@starbulletin.com

The number of false building security alarms police respond to each month has dropped by 25 percent since an ordinance went into effect last year that requires home and business system owners to obtain permits and imposes fines, according to Honolulu Police Department figures.

Police have been responding to about 2,100 false alarms a month since the ordinance went into effect in April, said Capt. Debbie Tandal, of the Honolulu Police Department Records Division.

She said the number of false alarms each month for the same period the previous year averaged between 2,700 and 2,800. She said she expected the number of false alarms on Oahu to decline further as people become familiar with the law.

The city ordinance requiring the permit took effect April 27. The deadline for people who had existing alarms systems to obtain a permit was Sept. 25.

"The program is still new; they've just started feeling the effects," Tandal said.

There is a $15 registration fee for a permit and an annual $5 renewal fee. The city ordinance allows police to fine people up to $100 for failing to register. They can be assessed an additional $250 if they fail to register within 30 days of the first citation and $50 each time their alarms go off. People with permits are assessed a $50 service charge for each false alarm exceeding three in a 12-month period.

So far, the city has collected $272,205 in registration fees, $31,550 in fines from people who failed to register and $8,350 from people who have had excessive numbers of false alarms.

"One of the positive things we've been able to do is highlight people who have had excessive false alarms and send an officer to help out," Tandal said.

She said one person had 18 false alarms between October and January. An officer met with the person and did an inspection with the alarm company to identify possible causes.

"It could be a variety of things. A dog could be setting off the sensor, or they forget to close their windows and a curtain blowing in the wind could set it off. Or it could be a problem with the alarm company system," she said.

Police can waive the service charge for the fourth false alarm if the owner successfully completes a two-hour alarm education class administered by the department. HPD conducts two classes each month. Tandal said the classes have been averaging 30 people.

"Most people, after they attend the class, they don't continue to have false alarms," she said.

The City Council adopted the ordinance to offset the cost of police officers responding to false alarms. There were 33,000 false alarms on Oahu in 2000. Police estimate it cost the city $600,000 to respond to them.