L.A. homes, businesses must pay $31 fee before burglar alarm installation

More than 90% of Los Angeles burglar alarms are false, City Councilwoman Wendy Greuel says, and LAPD officers burn up 15% of their time responding to these frustrating non-emergencies.

So the City Council's public safety committee today approved a policy that Greuel sponsored, requiring alarm companies to make sure every homeowner and business owner who installs an alarm has submitted the required permit and paid the $31 fee before the alarm is installed.

City billings for false alarms totaled $26.8 million between 2004-2006, but officials have not been able to collect much of that money because so many residents and business owners do not have proper permits for their alarms, making it difficult for the city to bill them.

“We need to still go out when there’s potentially a crime being committed, but if it is operational error — it really should not be LAPD responding to those,” Greuel said.

Last year, the city collected more than $8 million in false alarm fines, she said. Fines begin at $115 for each false alarm handled by the Los Angeles Police Department.

-- Maeve Reston