Council President Young Calls for Hearing on City’s False Alarm Reduction Program

Resolution calls for testimony from the police commissioner, fire chief, housing commissioner and director of finance

BALTIMORE, MD – Baltimore City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young will introduce a resolution at tonight’s City Council meeting calling for an investigation into the effectiveness of Baltimore’s program to reduce police calls associated with false burglar alarms. 

Baltimore’s False Alarm Reduction program requires residential and business owners to register their burglar alarm systems with the city. In 2002 the Baltimore City Police Department responded to more than 125,000 burglar alarm calls, 98 percent of which were false. 

Currently, city residents and business owners are allowed two “free” visits from police that result from a false alarm. Beginning on the third response, users are charged an escalating fee that begins at $50 and can climb as high as $1,000 for residential units and $2,000 for businesses. The Council President’s legislation will also examine the effectiveness of placing liens on properties with unpaid fines resulting from excessive false alarm calls. 

“The volume of false alarm calls that our police officers respond to on an annual basis is staggering.” Council President Young said. “We need to make sure that this program, which is intended to free up valuable police resources, is working properly.” 

Council President Young’s resolution will be introduced during tonight’s City Council meeting at 5 p.m. at City Hall. Visit here for more information on the legislation.