Cool Spring / Tilton Neighborhood Association

Security Alarm System Registration

Security Alarm System Registration

Wilmington Launches Program to Reduce
False Alarms Which Divert the WPD from Real Emergencies


New law requires businesses and homeowners to register their security alarm systems with the City by October 1; Citations will be issued for unregistered alarm systems and for excessive false alarms

In an effort to curb the excessive number of false alarms to which Wilmington police officers respond on a yearly basis, the City is launching a False Alarm Reduction Program. Residents and businesses have until October 1 to register their security alarm systems with the City. All security alarm systems, whether or not they are monitored by a licensed security alarm company, must be registered by October 1, 2007, and registrations must be renewed on a yearly basis. The yearly registration fee is $20.00.

The new False Alarm law only applies to security alarm systems for residential units and businesses; it does not include fire, auto, or medical alert systems.

Once registered, businesses and residents will not be charged for the first two false alarms within the yearly registration period. After the first two false alarms, alarm owners will be fined beginning October 1 for subsequent false alarms according to the following fine structure:

False Alarm Count Residential Business Unregistered Commercial/Residential
(Additional)
1-2 No charge No charge $100
3 $100 $250 $100
4 $200 $400 $100
5+ $250 $550 $100


If Wilmington police are required to respond to a false alarm from an unregistered security system after October 1, the alarm system owner will be issued a $100.00 citation for each offense in addition to the false alarm fine.

Wilmington’s False Alarm Reduction Program was initiated by City Council Member At-Large Michael A. Brown, Sr. and approved by Council in April of this year. Council Member Brown said he developed and then sponsored this ordinance based on concerns expressed by the Wilmington Police about the excessive number of false alarms occurring in the City. According to Council Member Brown, “The Wilmington Police Department is response driven. By reducing the number of false alarms, the time spent by police to clear a false alarm incident can now be spent responding to actual public safety issues.”

Wilmington Mayor James M. Baker said the new law is necessary and important. He said it is imperative that the City reduce false alarms that draw police away from real issues and concerns facing the City today. The Mayor said approximately one-half of the average 14,000 alarms that require police responses each year are false or unfounded.

“False alarms are not only costly in terms of staff time and resources, but can be dangerous when they divert emergency responders from actual calls for service,” said the Mayor. “We certainly understand that the occasional false alarm is going to happen, and this new law makes allowances for these occurrences while requiring the registration of all security alarm systems,” he continued.

Every residential and business address in Wilmington will receive an alarm registration form by mail beginning this week with instructions to complete the form and mail it to the address given along with a registration fee of $20.00. In addition, citizens and business officials can log onto the City’s web site at www.ci.wilmington.de.us and download a copy of the registration form. The new law covers both alarm systems that are monitored by a licensed security company and those that are not. There are approximately 13,000 residential and business alarm systems in use in Wilmington according to the best available estimates by the Wilmington Police Department.

All completed registration forms, accompanied by a $20.00 yearly registration fee, are due by October 1, 2007.

The City new False Alarm Reduction program is being managed by Lieutenant Bruno Battaglia of the Communications Division of the Wilmington Police Department and is being administered by ACS Public Safety Solutions, a subsidiary of the company that administers the City’s Red Light Safety Enforcement Program and the City Parking Enforcement Program.