09/20/2017 – from the Owasso Police Department
The Owasso Police Department (OPD) has been working to reduce the number of false burglar alarms received and a new city ordinance is aimed to do just that.
In Owasso, 99% of all alarms are false. In the last two years, the OPD responded to over 3,700 false alarms, which represented over 11% of Owasso’s total number of reactive calls for police service. In an effort to reduce false alarms, the City of Owasso approved a new ordinance on July 5, 2017, which will require alarm users to register their alarms and will impose fees on false alarms.
Beginning October 1, 2017, alarm users must register their home and business alarms online at www.owassopolice.com under the Alarm Registration page. The cost of annual registration is $30 for residential locations and $100 for businesses.
With residential registration comes two free false alarms per year and registered businesses are allowed three false alarms without penalty. Education on reducing false alarms is also available via the online registered alarm account.
To improve quality of service to citizens, alarm users will have the ability to enter timely details about their home or business that they want responders to know about. Perhaps they are on vacation and a neighbor has a key, or they have a special needs relative who is staying with them and might accidently set off the alarm, or perhaps a family dog in the backyard that doesn’t like anyone to trespass—even if the police are there to check the security of the home.
Alarm users will be free from the fees imposed for false alarms or failure to register until December 1, 2017, so there is plenty of time to register.
“Our goal is to reduce false alarms, help educate the public, and provide better service to our citizens,” Chief of Police Scott Chambless.
