Date: Fri 09-Aug-1996

By ANDY GOROSKO

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Burglar-alarms-internet

Full Text:

sidebar for story on burglar alarms

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

In a growing town where most new homes have burglar alarms installed, false

burglar alarms are a growing problem.

Last year, the town received 2,223 burglar alarms from homes and businesses,

but only 11 of those alarms involved actual burglaries.

The other 2,212 burglar alarms were false alarms.

To learn how other municipalities across the country deal with their false

burglar alarm problems, Patrolman James Mooney and Police Records Supervisor

Robert Berkins decided it was worth connecting to the Internet to do some

research on the topic.

Logging onto The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) home

page on the World Wide Web section of the Internet, Patrolman Mooney found a

web link for the IACP Private Sector Liaison Committee. Clicking onto that

link displayed a web page with a list of publications on public safety.

One of the categories listed is "false alarm perspectives." The listing is

intended to provide solutions for police departments seeking help with false

alarm problems.

The primary contributors to the web listing are the National Burglar and Fire

Alarm Association, the Central Station Alarm Association, and the Security

Industry Association.

The information gleaned from the Internet will aid town officials in modifying

the town's burglar alarm ordinance, Mr Berkins said.

Patrolman Mooney said he retrieved the data on false alarms from his home

computer which is linked to the Internet. The computer network holds a wealth

of pertinent information on the topic from both the public and private

sectors, he said.

The information obtained from the Internet includes court decisions as they

concern false alarms, as well as data about fines for false alarms, he said.

The computer information search was launched to learn how to lower the rate of

local false alarms and how to improve the town's false alarm ordinance, he

said.

Much data relevant to police work and law enforcement is available on the

Internet, he said.

Police Chief James Lysaght, Jr, wants to obtain a computer connection to the

Internet at the police station, Mr Berkins said.

Reviewing information about false burglar alarms on the Internet indicates

that the problem isn't unique to Newtown, but is a nationwide problem,

Patrolman Mooney said.

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Well that is some spin. The Democrats have a super majority on the LC and passed the Education Budget without serious consideration of if the voters could afford the multi million dollar increase. "Was the request justified?" rather than "is this needed?" and "can the voters shoulder yet another large increase?" The voters rightly sent it back. Then for some reason all the discussion around reductions to the increase seemed to be coming from the classroom, rather than administration and overhead costs. Is this a coercive tactic to manipulate parents into supporting the budget like tacit threat of cutting freshman sports was two years ago? Who believes the Democrats did not caucus privately before the meeting and came in with a number already worked out? This is the Dems budget, they own it.

Education Cuts: Who Voted For What

I think it is important that we do not villainize every black box seen around a home, business, farm, or municipal property. A black exterior station does not always mean rat poison is being used. These stations can hold a number of different products, including monitoring blocks, snap traps, non-toxic bait, anti-tick bait stations, organic salt- or cornmeal-based control products, and newer fertility-control approaches intended to reduce rodent populations without traditional poisons. The better conversation, in my opinion, is not simply “black boxes are bad,” but rather: what is inside them, who is maintaining them, and whether the rodent issue is being managed responsibly. Exclusion, sanitation, trapping, habitat reduction, and careful monitoring should all be part of a responsible IPM strategy. To be fair, on my own property I do use rodenticides, including Bromethalin and Bromadiolone, in secured bait stations. But that is a choice I make for my property, based on my circumstances and the risk I am trying to manage. I also believe property owners should understand the tradeoffs and be encouraged to use the least harmful effective method whenever possible. I support protecting Newtown’s wildlife. I also support giving residents accurate information and not assuming that every black box represents reckless or unsafe pest control. The goal should be responsible rodent management, not fear of the box itself.

Discusses Policy Against Rodenticides

Debora, thank you! I accidentally doubled the project prices by adding the bond to the appropriation. Thank you so much for catching that and pointing it out. With the corrected numbers, the voters approved a combined $1.32 million for a salt shed ($600k) and library pavement ($720k), while rejecting the $1.12 million replacement turf. Regarding the 80s, I truly respect the hurdle of 14% mortgage rates. My point is simply that the math has shifted: in 1980, while the rates were higher, the price of a home relative to earnings was significantly lower. We are facing a different, but equally crushing, financial wall. Ultimately, it is disheartening that voters who recognized safe sidewalks and parking lots as essential, dismissed a playing field in the exact same condition. The turf has passed its life cycle and is just as much of a liability as the library’s pavement, the only difference is that this safety concern affects thousands of children who, coincidentally, cannot vote. These are apples-to-apples needs. I was hopeful our community would agree that all Newtown residents deserve safe conditions, regardless of which facility they utilize. Again, I would be remiss not to mention that when 82% of residents don’t show up, we have to deal with the interests of those who did. Hopefully, the next referendum will have a bigger turnout.

The ‘Me’ Generation

Thanks for the reply. I meant the numbers you presented in your letter. I found one place where other numbers were listed: https://www.newtownbee.com/04232026/get-out-and-vote-on-the-2026-27-proposed-municipal-and-school-budgets/?q=\\\%22advisory%20questions\\\%22. In that article, the numbers were cited as: Treadwell field: $1,125,000 Library: $720,000 Salt Storage: $600,000 As one who started out in the early 80's when inflation was double digits, my 1985 mortgage rate was 14%, and child care costs were comparable (in present value), I shared your grief but never considered the voters ironic or shameful. PS. I agree college tuition is ridiculous. Thankfully, universities are offering (or considering) waiving all or most tuition for middle class families (upwards of $200,000 incomes). Hopefully, they'll also reconsider their need for those funds in the first place.

Sure! Child care costs: https://www.ffyf.org/2022/10/13/data-child-care-prices-continue-to-rise-ahead-of-midterm-elections-outpacing-inflation/ (also from 2021-2025 we had 2 children in a local daycare in Newtown and it cost us $3200 a month, so that's a number I am very familiar with) Home price / median price vs income source: https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/home-price-income-ratios Tuition increase vs inflation: https://feed.georgetown.edu/access-affordability/noting-a-decline-in-middle-class-students-colleges-provide-more-aid/ Hope this helps :)

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Date: Fri 09-Aug-1996

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