The Town of Kingsville is considering a new bylaw that will charge businesses and residents a fee to address the high number of false alarms attended by Ontario Provincial Police officers.
The towns of Essex and Tecumseh have a similar fee structure to reduce unnecessary false alarms generated by private alarm systems.
A report to Kingsville Town Councillors said the OPP requested the bylaw. Police said the number of false alarms has increased, potentially diverting valuable police resources from actual emergencies.
"In one documented instance, a single location generated 35 false alarm-related calls between 2025 and the end of January 2026," said the report.
The OPP said repeated false alarms cost the service $52,000.
The draft bylaw before councillors on Monday night would allow for two free calls related to false alarms within a calendar year before the town starts charging a fee. A third call to an address would result in a $150 fee, while each subsequent call will cost $375.
