False alarm fees increasing

Luke Edwards

Grant Haven Media

Police responding to false alarms at properties in Norfolk County will now cost the owners a little more.

The Norfolk County OPP Detachment Board recently approved the increase in an effort to “reflect the current cost recovery rate.” Owners will now be charged $240 per occurrence, up from the previous $200.

While the board approved the increase, the county also had to approve an amendment to the user fee bylaw to coincide with the new charges.

The fees are applied when a false alarm is triggered, often at a business, the police are called, and the owner is considered to be at fault. 

“Since its inception, the false alarm program has been intended to offset a portion of the policing costs borne by the County, including costs associated with responding to false alarms and administration costs,” the staff report said. In some cases, owners can appeal the charge. For instance, some alarms on farms can lead to a well-meaning passerby calling the police, despite there being no need to.

Ethan Burnett, a summer student and clerks assistant at Norfolk, said the program has multiple goals in addition to cost recovery. It also incentivizes owners to ensure their alarms are in working order.

Additionally, staff are looking at ways to reduce the number of false alarms that occur.

“We’re looking at an education campaign that we can hopefully launch to help educate alarm owners from how they can prevent false alarms on their end,” he said.