8.1.24 – The Advocate – BY Ellyn Couvillion
Many Baton Rouge residents with home alarm systems received letters last month telling them they needed to renew their alarm permit, causing confusion and concerns that it was a scam.
The Baton Rouge Police Department is now clarifying that, while the letter is not a scam, homeowners don’t need to make any additional payments or take any action because of it.
The letter, which came from an address in Irving, Texas, went out in mid-July. It began with, “Our records indicate that your alarm system permit is about to expire,” and directed residents to a website to renew their permit.
Multiple people contacted the police department about what appeared to be a con job. The department sent out a news release July 19, telling residents it was a scam.
But the police department quickly corrected itself with a second news release: “The letter that is being sent in the mail is valid and is being used by BRPD to collect payment for alarm services.”
On Thursday, the police department offered more clarification, saying in a news release that it had partnered with a third-party company “that will now be handling alarm permitting and alarm-related fee collections.”
A Baton Rouge city ordinance requires that people who install an alarm system in their home pay a one-time fee of $25, to offset the cost of false alarms, a spokesperson with the police department’s alarm enforcement division said.
The permits renew automatically, so anyone who has already paid the $25 does not need to pay it again, the spokesperson said.
While the address for the third-party contractor will still be in Irving, Texas, the name of the program has changed from “East Baton Rouge Parish False Alarm Reduction Program” to “Baton Rouge Police Department False Alarm Reduction Program.”
The original program name “unfortunately caused some confusion for some of our alarm customers,” the police department said in Thursday’s release.
Letters will be going out in the next couple of weeks with the new name of the permitting program, according to the release.
“We wish to alleviate any concerns of a scam for any alarm customer who has received an initial letter or notice recently,” the release said. “Any customer who has already responded to the initial letters or invoices that were mailed out, or who has completed any forms or payments online, can feel comfortable that their information is safe.
“If a customer has not responded to initial letters or invoices, they can disregard them as they will receive updated mailings,” BRPD said.
Residents with questions about the alarm permitting process can call the Baton Rouge Police Alarm Enforcement Division at (225) 389-3805.