A false alarm in Kensington could soon cost you

The Town of Kensington, P.E.I., is putting together a bylaw to encourage people withalarms to make sure they are working properly.

The town is proposing a $200 fine when police respond to a false alarm.

They're not able to respond to a real emergency.- Geoff Baker

Town CAO Geoff Baker said five to seven per cent of alarm calls in the town are false, and called that a big expense for the town to absorb.

Most of the time, Kensington only has one officer at a time patrolling its 1,500 residents.

"That's one of the dangers with false alarm calls," said Baker.

"When a police officer is responding to a false alarm call they're not able to respond to a real emergency."

One warning

The problem is mostly with commercial, not residential, alarms,Baker said.

Alarm owners would get one warning within any 12-month period before being fined.

Some false alarms, such as those caused by weather, would not be subject to fines.

The $200 fine would roughly cover the cost of responding to the false alarm.

Baker said the bylaw will be circulated for discussion and public comment before council votes on it.

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS |'Specifically for Islanders': You Know You're An Islander When...
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS |Ship to lay P.E.I.'s new electric cables arrives