tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481330.post113387928339101042..comments2023-10-24T11:05:25.288-04:00Comments on Mark Rauterkus & Running Mates ponder current events: City residents, businesses may face steep fees for false burglar alarmsMark Rauterkushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17157914569686528007noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481330.post-1133879359417910092005-12-06T09:29:00.000-05:002005-12-06T09:29:00.000-05:00City residents, businesses may face steep fees for...<I>City residents, businesses may face steep fees for false burglar alarms<BR/><BR/>Tuesday, December 06, 2005<BR/>By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette<BR/><BR/>When something trips a burglar alarm in the city of Pittsburgh, police have to respond. Starting next year, when it's a false alarm, somebody may have to pay.<BR/><BR/>City Information Services Director Howard Stern yesterday told City Council members that he wants to purchase a $50,000 software package that would track 9-1-1 calls triggered by burglar alarm systems. That would make it easy for the city to identify addresses where alarms are tripped frequently.<BR/><BR/>If implemented next year, that would coincide with a steep increase in false alarm fees.<BR/><BR/>Currently, when police respond to what turns out to be a false alarm, the city charges $50 if it's a business and $15 if it's a residence. Those with city burglar alarm permits aren't charged for the first four false alarms.<BR/><BR/>The city's Act 47 fiscal recovery plan reduces the number of free false alarms to two, starting Jan. 1. It pegs the fee at $50 for a third false alarm, rising steadily to $500 for the ninth incident. Businesses and residences will be treated the same.<BR/><BR/>The Act 47 recovery team, which wrote the plan, found that 31,000 annual false alarms accounted for 9 percent of police calls.<BR/><BR/>The city collected $17,400 in false alarm fees last year, according to the Police Bureau. The Act 47 team found that higher fines and better collection could quickly yield $250,000 a year.<BR/><BR/>"We feel very confident that it will raise a minimum of $200,000 in revenue next year without additional staff" if the software is purchased, Mr. Stern said.<BR/><BR/>He said he is holding off on purchasing the software until he finds out whether Mayor-elect Bob O'Connor wants to pursue it. Mr. O'Connor's spokesman, Dick Skrinjar, said the incoming administration had not yet reviewed the issue.<BR/><BR/>Mr. Stern said he also would like to upgrade the city's Web site to allow people to pay fees and taxes online with credit or debit cards. Mr. Skrinjar said the mayor-elect could support online payment, if taxpayers want it and if all information and funds can be transferred securely.<BR/><BR/>(Rich Lord can be reached at rlord@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1542.)</I>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com