By Rafael Marquez
Concerns raised by the Kyle City Council over data security and giving enough time to inform the public on security alarm regulations led officials to table a proposed ordinance indefinitely earlier this month.
Kyle Police Chief Jeff Barnett proposed an ordinance that would institute a fine for police response to home and commercial alarm system false alarms. The Kyle Police Department last year responded to over 1,500 alarm calls. After attending to the alarm, the Kyle Police found fewer than 20 of those calls actually warranted a police response.
Kyle Police is on track for 1600-plus responses and are projecting that fewer than 20 responses will actually be warranted, Barnett said.
The proposed city ordinance called for homeowners and businesses to register their alarm systems with the city. The ordinance called for a registration fee and the retention of a third party company to administer the registry. The fee would be split 60-40 with the third party company, with the larger share going to the city.
Kyle Mayor Todd Webster and other council members, however, had questions ranging from the security of the registrant’s data, to the need for more time to notify citizens and to come up with criteria for issuing the citations.
The measure was sent back for clarification of the duties of the parties involved. Kyle Police Chief Jeff Barnett said he does not expect this proposal to come back anytime soon.
