Update 12-14-2015: New website to register your home alarm system in unincorporated Cobb County.
Update, the City of Atlanta is finally catching on to registration of alarms to reduce false alarms but more importantly, raise revenue since burglaries may continue and help pay for the police report paperwork!
Ok, the officer was very kind and informative – False Alarms have dropped from 40,000/year to around 15,000 and the trend is continuing to fall. Here are some ways to reduce false alarms that include balloons, spiders, open doors and windows, pets, and checking your alarm equipment quality.
I just called the office dealing with False Alarm reductions and left a message asking whether this program has effectively reduced false alarms and where are the numbers to prove it?
Unincorporated Cobb County has recently enacted laws to require home burglar alarm systems to be registered with the County Police Department – https://www.crywolf.us/cobbcountycrywolf/
Main reasons given to date include (1) cutting the cost of false alarms to the county taxpayers; (2) having contact information to properly identify residents v. uninvited guests; and (3) to get instructions from homeowners how to properly secure the property.
Estimates are given that about 16,000 man hours, equating to an estimated $368,000 of taxpayer money that could have been used to better serve and protect residents – or setup speed traps to enforce traffic laws (e.g., collect more revenue).
Bottom line: False alarms do cost money and repeat offenders need to be charged fines, but did any of the false alarms help save lives or draw attention to other issues and problems in the community needing police attention?
Some fess from around metro Atlanta range from $25 for the first false alarm to $1,000 for the 4th false alarm.
Source: http://eastcobb.patch.com/articles/register-home-and-business-burglar-alarms#photo-7148871
Source: http://police.cobbcountyga.gov/alarms.htm
References to products and services are not a specific endorsement, but the user must perform their due diligence and investigate whether the product or service is right for them. I welcome any or all comments that would help others.