Georgia Bans Fines for Alarm Companies

If you follow SIAC’s State Activity Report, you probably know that the state of Georgia recently passed legislation banning the fining of alarm companies. It is a very important law for the security industry, and we appreciate the support of Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp.

But, Georgia is not the only state heading down this path. Similar bills have been passed in other states, also positive for our industry. They include California, Florida, New Jersey, Texas, Tennessee and Iowa.

We like to emphasize the importance of the model ordinance when we work with states on this type of legislation.  The Model Ordinance targets or focuses fines and remedies towards “chronic abusers” — that small percentage of permit holders that cause the majority of unneeded responses from law enforcement.  We favor suspending response or applying Verified Response to those who fail to address their equipment repairs, replacement or training issues.

Reductions impact those who cause the greatest amount of problems when it comes to false dispatches. We also like to emphasize that 85 percent of alarm systems generate no calls to police in a given year. Our focus remains working cooperatively with local agencies to implement the model ordinance.

Doing so significantly reduces demand on police resources. The model ordinance also penalizes individuals or businesses that cause false alarms, primarily through user error.

To stay on top of state activities, please reference SIAC’s State Activity Report on a regular basis. If you have not signed up for access, visit www.siacinc.com.