Ordinance in Haltom City, Texas, to Require Alarm Permits

Residents and businesses would have to obtain city permits for burglar alarm systems under an ordinance the City Council approved Monday.

Councilman Bill Lanford cast the only vote against the ordinance, saying he wanted it reworked to focus on those with repeated false alarms.

Residents would pay $25 a year for a permit, and businesses would pay $50.

Police Chief Ken Burton estimated that 98 percent of the 2,568 alarm calls last year were false alarms.

The false calls consumed 3,762 patrol-officer hours and more than $112,000 in resources, he said. If people have to pay for a permit, they might make sure their alarms work properly, Burton said.