City of Atlanta Announces Alarm Registration Program
New Program Takes Effect September 15; Residents Have Until February 1, 2014 to Register Without Penalty
The following was announced on Tuesday by the city of Atlanta. Click here for the actual press release.
City Residents, Business Owners Must Register Alarm Systems
City of Atlanta residents and businesses are now required to register their security and burglar alarm systems. In 2012, the Atlanta Police Department responded to 65,000 alarm system activations, 95% of which were false alarms or alarms that were cancelled in route. These calls represent more than six percent of total 911 dispatches. With every call taking an average of 20-30 minutes, the equivalent of 8-12 full-time police officers were dedicated to responding to false alarms, thereby taking away valuable public safety resources from more pressing matters.
In an effort to improve public safety and better allocate resources, the City has enacted a series of amendments to the existing False Alarm Ordinance. The new ordinance will take effect on September 15, 2013 and residents will have until February 1, 2014 to register without incurring an unregistered alarm penalty. Residents can register their alarm system for free online at www.crywolf.us/atlantaga/ or by calling 1-855-725-7102. There is a $150 fine for not registering an alarm. If an alarm is activated and it turns out to be false there is no fine, just a warning. The 2nd false alarm will result in a $50 fine to the homeowner. Fines will escalate for each false call thereafter.
“Our police officers take every alarm call seriously. In many cases, however, the call ends up being nothing more than a false alarm caused by accident or human error,” said Chief George Turner. “This new program will allow our officers to spend more time responding to true emergencies.”
The City of Atlanta’s False Alarm Program will be coordinated by CryWolf alarm monitoring service and software, designed and developed by Public Safety Corporation. CryWolf is a comprehensive false alarm tracking and billing system and has helped agencies across the country and in the Atlanta region reduce false alarms, increase collections, and improve administrative efficiency. The issuance of citations will be determined solely by the Atlanta Police Department.