Housing Authority Meeting :: Journalism Essays

Housing Authority Meeting Fine charged for questionable false alarms The city of Muncie is fining the Housing Authority of Delaware County for alleged false alarms. The announcement came at the Housing Authority’s monthly board meeting that they have been fined $100 for three false alarms in March and April. But the police may not have responded to these alarms. Executive Director Jennifer Edwards says the Muncie Police Department is making a claim of false alarms when the police are notified by the Housing Authority’s alarm company, ADT of a disturbance great enough to set off the alarms. These could be, she says, anything from a storm rattling the windows to people with mischievous intents. â€Å"But an alarm is an alarm, and they deserve the same response,† Edwards said. ADT calls the police and Edwards when an alarm is activated. Edwards claims that when she arrived, police had not responded to any of the alarms the department mentioned in the list of dates the Housing Authority is being fined for. An ordinance against false alarms says that three false alarms constitute a fine of $100, and more for each alarm afterwards. Amendments were made to this ordinance earlier this year to lessen fines for large buildings, such as those on Ball State’s campus, but are costly to the smaller, federal funded Housing Authority. â€Å"I vote we fight this,† said Commissioner Evan Terry. â€Å"I remember back in 1982 to 1986 when [false fire alarms were happening frequently] at Ball State. That’s what this ordinance is supposed to protect. False fire alarms,† Terry said. Commissioner Fred Fields said that if the police are going to charge the Housing Authority for protective services, they should at least show up. The board agreed to consult their attorney, Casey Cloyd on the matter, and take legal action if needed. Board members noted that this is a case of the city of Muncie fining a federal office in Delaware county jurisdiction, so they may not possess the ability to fine the organization. Housing Authority Meeting :: Journalism Essays Housing Authority Meeting Fine charged for questionable false alarms The city of Muncie is fining the Housing Authority of Delaware County for alleged false alarms. The announcement came at the Housing Authority’s monthly board meeting that they have been fined $100 for three false alarms in March and April. But the police may not have responded to these alarms. Executive Director Jennifer Edwards says the Muncie Police Department is making a claim of false alarms when the police are notified by the Housing Authority’s alarm company, ADT of a disturbance great enough to set off the alarms. These could be, she says, anything from a storm rattling the windows to people with mischievous intents. â€Å"But an alarm is an alarm, and they deserve the same response,† Edwards said. ADT calls the police and Edwards when an alarm is activated. Edwards claims that when she arrived, police had not responded to any of the alarms the department mentioned in the list of dates the Housing Authority is being fined for. An ordinance against false alarms says that three false alarms constitute a fine of $100, and more for each alarm afterwards. Amendments were made to this ordinance earlier this year to lessen fines for large buildings, such as those on Ball State’s campus, but are costly to the smaller, federal funded Housing Authority. â€Å"I vote we fight this,† said Commissioner Evan Terry. â€Å"I remember back in 1982 to 1986 when [false fire alarms were happening frequently] at Ball State. That’s what this ordinance is supposed to protect. False fire alarms,† Terry said. Commissioner Fred Fields said that if the police are going to charge the Housing Authority for protective services, they should at least show up. The board agreed to consult their attorney, Casey Cloyd on the matter, and take legal action if needed. Board members noted that this is a case of the city of Muncie fining a federal office in Delaware county jurisdiction, so they may not possess the ability to fine the organization.