Appeal an Alarm Fine

It is estimated that response to false alarms costs taxpayers approximately $84,892 annually. This number takes into account fuel costs, the police officer’s time, administrative costs associated with managing the alarms and other associated costs. The Fairfield Police Department responds to an average of 3,161 alarm calls per year with 97% of these being false alarms.

It is our hope that the increase in fines for False Alarms will:
1. Reduce false alarms
2. Reduce time officers spend responding to alarms
3. Allow officers to spend more time addressing other law enforcement and public safety issues in town.

Effective July 1, 2019, the False Alarm Fines will increase as follows:

1st & 2nd False Alarm = No Fine
3rd False Alarm = $50 Fine
4th False Alarm = $75 Fine
5th False Alarm = $100 Fine
6th & 7th False Alarm = $125 Fine
8th + False Alarm = $150 Fine

Failure to pay the fines within 30 days = $125 (in addition to outstanding fines.)
False alarms add up for one calendar year from the date of the first false alarm. They no longer reset on July 1st each year.

A False Alarm is defined by the Ordinance as “The activation of an alarm system to which the Police Department responds and which is not caused by a criminal act or other emergency. This does not include the activation of an alarm by circumstances normally attributed to extreme weather conditions or a prolonged power outage of four hours or more.”

Registration:  In addition, residents and business owners will be required to register their alarms with the Police Department beginning in January 2020. Information on Alarm Registration will be made available later in the year once the necessary systems have been put into place.

*** A registration system is not yet in place and therefore, this portion of the ordinance is not yet in effect. ***

Read the Full Alarm Ordinance