Audit: Within 3 years, 93 percent of intrusion alarms in Tampa were false
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TAMPA (FOX 13) - There are significant amount of false alarms in Tampa, city officials report.
Over a three-year period, a City of Tampa audit found that 93 percent of intrusion alarms were actually false alarms. There were 19,000 instances where at least one officer was pulled to respond. Nationwide, between 95 to 98 percent of intrusion and burglar alarms are false.
“These alarms are a major drawback to police efforts in the fight against crime,” the audit read. Officials also compared false alarm ordinances from other cities and counties in the country to identify the best practices on handing them. The City of Tampa currently fines a business $150 per response after three false alarms in a calendar year, and $300 per response after six false alarms in the calendar year.
The results of the audit are expected to be presented during the next Tampa City Council meeting on Thursday.