Fayetteville Announces Effort to Curb False Alarms

The City of Fayetteville is working on an alarm ordinance.

The Fayetteville Police Department answered 2,212 police-related alarm calls in 2010. 1,652 of those alarms were false activations, the result of operator error or a malfunctioning alarm system. The numbers for 2009 are similar, 1,833 false alarms out of 2,297 alarm calls.

Response to alarm calls represents a significant expenditure of police resources. It only makes sense that real time and money could be saved if alarm system users were more aware of this problem and took steps to prevent false activations. After consulting with an advisory group recognized by the International Association of Chief’s of Police (IACP) and following the model of other Georgia communities, the City of Fayetteville has decided to draft a city ordinance that will address the false alarm problem and create a more efficient and effective police response to legitimate alarms.

In the coming months, there will be advertisements in the local newspapers, the City of Fayetteville web site, Facebook, and other media sites about the false alarm ordinance and the registration process that will required of each user.

The first important dates to mark on your calendar will be the upcoming City Council meetings in which the ordinance is presented for discussion and approval. We will advertise those dates as soon as they are scheduled.