The next time a false burglar alarm goes off, don't expect the police to come running.

The Milwaukee Police Department will no longer respond to false burglar alarms after Sept. 19. The new verified response policy means they will only come to alarms that have been verified by the homeowner, an alarm company or an eyewitness.

"What we've always done is responded out of courtesy, but then we didn't have the proliferation of alarms we have now," said Sgt. Kenneth Harris, spokesman for the MPD Public Information Office. "Over the past few years we've had a 96 to 98 percent false alarm rate."

Chief Nannette Hegerty introduced the new policy in July. It aims to cut down on the hours spent checking on false burglar alarms, as well as reduce the money false alarms cost taxpayers, she said.

"What we're trying to do is get efficient police service to people whether they have an alarm or not," Harris said. "In our effort to provide safe and equitable police service to the citizens of the city of Milwaukee, we need to have verified alarms."

However, some think the new alarm response policy is not the best way to address the issue.

"We feel that it's a detriment to public safety," said Mike Horgan, president of the Wisconsin Burglar and Fire Alarm Association. "You are taking away what has become part of the fabric of crime prevention in this city."

Ed Sweeney, owner of Sweeney's College Books, agrees. He would not say whether his store has a burglar alarm, but didn't like the idea that police would not respond to unverified alarms.

"It kind of defeats the purpose of an alarm system," Sweeney said.

Horgan said the new policy will cost the alarm companies and customers more money to ensure real alarms can be properly verified.

Horgan said the policy change might mean that alarm companies would have to hire private guard services to respond to alarms. As of now, burglar alarm companies aren't staffed to respond to alarms, he said.

Several aldermen brought alternative proposals for the false alarm policy before a special meeting of the Common Council's public safety committee Thursday, where Hegerty explained the logic behind the MPD's policy.

"I would've preferred the chief to reconsider her position, but she didn't do that," said Alderman Tony Zielinski, who presented his plan Thursday to increase fines for false alarms.

Zielinski's plan called for an initial fee to the alarm company for a false alarm, and then additional fees for each subsequent one. Two false alarms are currently allowed per year without retribution, and then a citation is issued for every false alarm thereafter.

"I think that that's a more effective way of fighting crime than having to rely on security guards," Zielinski said.

According to Horgan, the WB&FAA is on board with Zielinski's plan.

"The only area where we disagree with (Alderman) Zielinski is who should be fined for the false alarms," Horgan said of the plan, which would fine the alarm company and not the business owner. "That would be like if you got caught for speeding in your car and they fined the car dealer."

Fining the alarm companies was the most effective way of making money right now, Zielinski said, but he is exploring other options.

Marquette will not be affected by the change, according to Dean of Residence Life Jim McMahon, who said there are no hardwire alarms in the residence halls or the academic buildings that would ring to the police department.