False Alarm Ordinance

The City Fayetteville will be implementing a false alarm ordinance.

The Fayetteville Police Department answered 2066 police-related alarm calls in 2011. 1656 of those alarms, approximately 80%, were false activations, the result of operator error or a malfunctioning alarm system. The alarm call numbers for 2009 and 2010 also consistently show that 75% - 80% of the alarms that the Fayetteville Police Department responds to are false activations.

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. The City of Fayetteville has drafted an ordinance that will address the false alarm problem by requiring the responsible involvement of alarm users and alarm companies.

The first public reading of the proposed false alarm ordinance will be at next week's Fayetteville City Council meeting at 7:00 PM on January 19th, 2012.

If you use an alarm system at your business or private residence it is important that you know about the new ordinance. The Fayetteville Police Department will advertise important dates and opportunities to learn about the ordinance requirements in the next several weeks.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact Major Kevin Gooding, Patrol Division Commander at (770)719-4202.