Fargo Police Billing for False Alarms
FARGO, N.D. (June 30, 2017) –The Fargo Police Department will start billing for excessive alarms from July 1 through December 31, 2017. We will not be billing for the first half of this year (January 1 through June 30, 2017). For the past few years, due to computer programming issues, excessive alarms have not been billed. The issues have been resolved.
City Ordinance 25-3006, titled Charges for Excessive Alarms, states:
“Any alarm user who maintains or has a police alarm system which signals excessive alarms shall pay a service charge to the city of Fargo as follows:
- For the first excessive alarm, the sum of $50.
- For the second and subsequent excessive alarms, the sum of $50 plus the additional sum of $25 for each alarm after the first excessive alarm.”
"False alarm" means the activation of an alarm system caused by anything other than an emergency or criminal activity.
"Excessive alarms" shall mean false alarms in excess of three within the months of January through June of any year or July through December of any year.
The following circumstances will not be considered a “false alarm,” or “excessive alarm,” and will not be factored into any service charges.
- An alarm caused by criminal activity.
- An alarm caused by natural causes (e.g. high winds, flooding)
- An alarm in which the owner, or individual responsible for the alarm, cancels the officers’ response prior to their arrival.