Delaware Fifth to Pass Comprehensive State Alarm Policy

Delaware's Governor Ruth Ann Minner has signed into effect a bill that was designed to reduce the number of false security alarms that police respond to in the state.

The bill was a version of bi-partisan legislation originally submitted jointly by Delaware House members Robert Gilligan and Pamela Thornburg. It establishes a statewide policy on alarm fines, solving the continued problem of individual communities needing to enact their own laws and provide the management power to enforce them.

The law will require common elements found in many community alarm ordinances, including the requirement that security alarms be registered and contact information be provided. The new state law places fines that start at $50 and rise to $250.

Additionally, the state law requires that alarm companies certify that alarm users have been trained on their systems.

The bill had reportedly been proposed to the legislature since 2001.

The state has not decided how the fine program will be managed, and as such the requirements of the law are not yet enacted.