 On January 1, 2008, Bristol Police began enforcing the City of Bristol Alarm Ordinance. The purpose of the ordinance was to promote the responsible use of alarm systems in our city. False alarms are costly and dangerous because they divert police officers from proactive crime prevention activities. For further information on the ordinance, Click Here and go to Chapter 2.5 of the Ordinance Code.
An alarm system is any type of device that signals the presence of an emergency situation that requires a response by the police department. This also includes alarm systems that signal with only an outside audible alarm. Specifically excluded from this definition are smoke detectors, carbon monoxide alarms, car alarms and other battery operated detectors which do not signal outside the alarmed premise.
All alarms systems must be registered with the police department. If the user fails to register their alarm, there is a $90.00 fine. For a copy of the registration form, Click Here.
During each calender year, each premise is allowed three false alarms. Starting with the fourth false alarm, the alarm user will be fined $90.00. For each subsequent false alarm, there will also be a $90.00 fine. Alarms that are caused by mechanical defect, user error and pets are considered false alarms and billable.
The Bristol Police Records Division is responsible for enforcing the alarm ordinance. If you have any questions, please call (860) 584-3061. |