FALSE ALARMS SET TO RING UP FINES; COUNCIL ACTION AIMS TO CUT DOWN ON COSTLY RESPONSES.

Byline: Teresa Jimenez Daily News Staff Writer

Deciding that sheriff's deputies had better things to do than check out about 5,500 false alarms a year at businesses and residences around the city, the City Council this week decided to fine the property owners whose alarms consistently ring for no reason.

Once the false alarm program kicks in, alarm owners will be allowed two accidental rings a year. But by the third, the owners will have to pay $107, the amount the city estimates it pays for each false alarm call. The plan still requires a second vote of the council but is expected to go into effect in January.

``The goal is really to use sheriff's officers' time to the maximum,'' said Steve Stark, director of administrative services for the city. ``On a typical response, they have to send two units which have to investigate to the extent that they can verify that no crime has occurred.''

The calls cost the city an estimated $590,000 a year. While the program is projected to put a small dent in that cost - the city expects to recoup about 10 percent - it will free up about 825 hours of officers' time, allowing them to address other calls, Stark said.

With the fine in place, city administrators expect that property owners who have problems with false alarms will have repairs made, cutting down on the number of calls to police dispatch, Stark said.

In fact, cities that have established false alarm programs reported to Santa Clarita that they had seen an average of a 15 percent to 25 percent decline in the accidental rings after the programs started, Stark said. Some cities even reported drops of up to 40 percent, he said.

The fine is also in line with other cities. Palmdale/Lancaster has a $100 fine for a fourth false alarm. Thousand Oaks has a sliding scale of $55 for the third false alarm, $110 for the fourth and $150 for the fifth.

``We hope that people will have their alarms properly maintained,'' Stark said. ``And people should know that they only get fined on the third one. You get two free. We just hope it results in a reduction. That's our goal.''

The city plans to begin a public campaign following final council approval, which is expected at the Sept. 23 meeting, as part of the effort to prevent false alarms from the start, Stark said.

Then, a computer database will be set up to document the addresses of false alarm calls, Stark said. The fine should cover the cost of the clerk needed to administer the program, he said.

Deputies who investigate a false alarm will leave a warning at the business or home and forward the address to the city. The city will then mail a warning and an information request form to the owner. An invoice will be mailed on the third false alarm, and the owner will have 30 days to pay the bill, the city memo stated.

Because no permit is required for an alarm system, the city does not have data available on who has alarms and which locations regularly have false alarms, Stark said.