MCSO To Start Enforcing Alarm Permit Ordinance
During the time between February 1, 2015 and February 29, 2016, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office responded to over 20,000 false alarms in un-incorporated areas of Montgomery County, Texas. False alarm responses essentially take many needed patrol deputies away from proactive duties and can delay time when deputies are responding to legitimate criminal offenses, wasting valuable resources and time.
The law requires every residence and business with a security alarm system in un-incorporated Montgomery County, Texas, (monitored or not), to obtain a valid alarm permit issued by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Alarm Detail. It is a Class “C” Misdemeanor offense to operate an alarm system without first securing an alarm permit. The violation is punishable by issuance of a citation and payment of fines ranging up to $500.00 upon conviction. Each violation is a separate offense.
In the near future, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office will be proactively enforcing the Montgomery County Alarm Ordinance. If you currently have a residential or business alarm in the un-incorporated areas of Montgomery County, in order to avoid being fined or receiving a citation for not having an alarm permit, it is strongly recommended that you permit your alarm with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Alarm Detail immediately.
The reasoning behind an alarm permit and fee associated is not designed to generate profit. The fee associated with the alarm permit is designed to pay for the alarm detail, costs associated with the alarm detail and not to be a burden on the general public for cost. All money recovered by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Alarm Detail goes into Montgomery County’s general fund.
The goal of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Alarm Detail is to enforce the Montgomery County Alarm Ordinance and to reduce the number of false alarms through education and deterrence. The hope is to alleviate the false alarm problem, thereby redirecting public safety resources to more effectively serve the community as a whole.
The Montgomery County Alarm Ordinance can be found at:
mctxcao.org/wp-conte nt/uploads/2014/03/A larmRules.pdf