Alarm System Permits To Be Required For All Businesses and Residences
The City of Greenville is urging everyone in the city who has an alarm to apply for an alarm permit this month. That’s because the City Council, in an effort to reduce the number of false alarms, passed an ordinance requiring all people with an alarm (businesses and residences) to have a permit. The new law, which goes into effect October 1st, also spells out stiff penalties for those who do not have a permit.
“The purpose of the permit is to encourage alarm users to properly use and maintain the operational effectiveness of their systems so as to reduce or eliminate false alarms,” said Assistant City Attorney Bill Little. “False alarms unnecessarily consume officer time, waste fuel, increase the risk of accidents and, over time, reduce the quality of police service to other areas with a greater need for officer presence.”
In the past five years, there have been more than 35,000 false alarms in the city. Last year alone, Greenville Police responded to 6,885 false alarms. That is about 10% of the total number of calls to the police and took up more than 1,100 manpower hours. Those are hours that could have been spent patrolling neighborhoods or serving the public in other ways.
Greenville Police have contracted a private company to handle the permitting and sending notices of violation to those whose false alarms required a police response.
Alarm companies have been asked to let their customers know about the requirement and to send them a permit application form. People who did not receive such notification can get an application on the City’s website at www.greenvillenc.gov or by stopping by the Police Headquarters at 501 South Greene Street.
