By Frank Mustac, Special Writer
Residences and businesses with burglary alarm systems installed could be subjected to an increased number of fines after the Hopewell Township Committee voted on Monday to increase the number of penalties for false alarms.
Township Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Elaine Cruickshank-Borges outlined the changes prior to the committee’s vote, which included the creation of a $50 fine for the third false alarm, a $75 fine for the fourth and a $90 fine for the fifth false alarm reported at a location.
For the sixth and each subsequent false alarm, she said the township will levy a $100 fine to the offending property owner. There are no penalties for the first and second false alarms.
Previously, a fine of $100 was in place for every instance of a false burglar alarm after the sixth.
The changes to the township’s false alarm fines for burglary alarms now reflect the fine structure for false alarms from similar fire alarm systems.
The new rules also call for the creation of a $20 registration fee for all future burglar or fire alarm systems installed in the township, according to the treasurer.
The changes come at the recommendation of the township’s finance advisory committee.
Ms. Cruickshank-Borges said Chief Lance Mahoney of the Hopewell Township Police Department had told the finance advisory committee that police frequently do not find out that a house or a commercial building has an alarm system “until there is a problem.”
“(The police department) would like to know ahead of time if there is an alarm system in a house,” the treasurer said. “Other towns do charge a registration fee for an alarm system.”
Committeeman John Hart, who was the sole dissenting vote on the matter, called the penalties “too steep,” especially for commercial properties.
He expressed concern that burglar alarms may be considered false when would-be burglars fail to break into a building and cannot be located.
“They are not all false alarms,” Mr. Hart said.
Committeeman Todd Brant said, “it doesn’t count as a false alarm” if authorities are notified within two minutes that no burglary has occurred.
“Police thought that was a reasonable compromise,” Mayor Kevin Kuchinski said, referring to the two-minute rule.
Steven Goodell, the township’s attorney, said fines can only be imposed after a judge determines that there was a false alarm “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
“There has to be a hearing in court,” he said, explaining that repeat offenders are a problem for police. “Some people just aren’t fixing their alarms and police have to go back every time.”
“A lot of it is a training issue — new employees not knowing how to do things properly and tripping the alarm,” Mr. Brant said.
