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New Policy No False Alarm in Wheeling

Wheeling police dept. backs program

WHEELING — By October, Wheeling residents and businesses must register their burglar alarms or face fines, as the result of an ordinance passed last fall adopting fees for responding to false alarms.

The free online registration process with a third party company is now open, Wheeling Police Department officials announced Wednesday. After Oct. 1, unregistered alarms can result in a fine of $100 and failure to renew every year will result in a $25 fine.

With the registration program also comes escalating fees for false alarms. There is no fine for the first offense, but a second false alarm within a year will result in a $50 fine — although alarm users can have the penalty waived if they take a class on proper operation of alarm systems.

Third and fourth offenses will result in a $100 fine; fifth and sixth offenses, $200; and seventh and eighth offenses, $300. The ninth and each subsequent false alarm will cost a user $400.

“The big part of this is our officers do respond to a lot of alarms on a daily basis. This will hopefully enable our officers to focus more on patrol, rather than sending two units to every alarm we receive,” said Lt. Phil Redford, special operations commander for the police department. “Every alarm will be treated as an actual alarm, but this is a process so that people can learn to use their alarms properly or fix any that are malfunctioning.”

Cry Wolf Services will manage the database and fine system under the new ordinance. Residents and business owners can register for free online at crywolfservices.com/wheelingwv, and they may call the Wheeling Police Department at 304-234-3675 for assistance.

According to information provided by the police department, in 2012, more than 99 percent of all burglar alarm calls in Wheeling turned out to be false alarms. That year, Wheeling officers responded to 1,373 burglar alarm calls, only seven of which were the result of a true emergency.

Many addresses in the area have five or more false alarm calls per year, police said.

The ordinance includes burglar alarms both monitored and unmonitored as well as audible and inaudible. Other types of alarms such as Life Alert, fire and car alarms need not be registered.

According to Redford, false alarms often result from user error, such as not knowing the code, or device malfunctions including a loose alarm or control panel. With the help of this new system, officers will have the information needed to contact a keyholder right away when they respond to a burglar alarm call.

Residents are responsible for contacting their alarm company if they have a malfunctioning alarm, but Wheeling police hope this new system will help hold those companies accountable.

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