False alarm fines approved

Starting on Sept. 1, Charleston will be keeping track of false alarms that waste the Police Department's time, and issuing fines to alarm owners responsible for more than three unnecessary police visits to a home or business.

Charleston City Council on Tuesday night approved the measure proposed by the Police Department.

According to the department, Charleston police officers have been answering an average of nearly 1,200 false alarms from homes and businesses each month, with each call tying up two police officers for about 20 minutes.

More than 99 percent of the calls have been false alarms.

Police Chief Greg Mullen said he hopes the fines will prompt people to be more careful about accidental alarm calls. He said the city will work to educate alarm owners and alarm companies, and said much of the problem could be solved if more alarm companies would notify police after learning an alarm was tripped accidentally.

The fine will be $50 for the fourth through sixth false alarm in a year, and $100 for each one after that. Each calendar year, alarm owners get three false alarms before the fines kick in.

Read more in tomorrow's editions of The Post and Courier.