FAYETTEVILLE, GA (CBS ATLANTA) -
The City of Fayetteville estimates it has 2,500 burglar alarms systems within the city limits, but official say the problem isn't burglars, it's the alarms.
"Last year we had 2,200 alarm calls in the City of Fayetteville. More than 1600 of those alarm calls were false alarms," said Maj. Kevin Gooding, with the Fayetteville Police Department.
Police say more than 80 percent of those burglar alarm calls last year were false alarms.
Many residents say they are all too aware of false alarms.
"I know there are some in my neighborhood that the least little thing they will go off for no reason," said Diane Balas, a Fayetteville resident.
"It is wasting the 911 center. There are more important things to do than respond to false alarms on burglar alarm systems," said John Doherty, a Fayetteville resident.
Today police began enforcing a new ordinance that requires home and business owners to register their burglar alarms. Each alarm owner is allowed one false alarm a year, after that fines range from $50 to $300.
"We've got to make people accountable for the system. We can't just assume we are going to continue to respond and not hold them accountable for being a responsible user," Gooding said.
With only four officers patrolling the street at one time, police say it's imperative that officers are used efficiently and effectively.
"You never know, you may be responding to an alarm call and that may be the moment in time when that officer could have been used for a primary call, a response to an actual criminal incident or for that officer to backup another officer," Gooding said.
Copyright 2012 WGCL-TV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
