Saint John businesses with frequent false burglar alarms could soon be hit in the wallet by police.

A new False Alarm Reduction Policy was unveiled by the Saint John Police Force on Friday.

The goal, it said, is to reduce police response to false burglar alarms at commercial locations in the city.

“False alarms can divert our officers away from true emergencies and place unnecessary burden on our resources,” police said in a news release.

On average, police responded to nearly 2,000 false alarms annually over the past five years, or more than 160 a month. More than 70 per cent of those alarms are from non-residential locations, according to police.

Under the new policy, which takes effect Nov. 1, businesses will be issued a “Special Caution Notice” after two false alarms in the same calendar year.

After four false alarms in the same calendar year, the business will be issued a “Suspension Notice” for one year.

The business will be invoiced $100 for any false alarms during the suspension period. After three past-due false alarm invoices have been issued, police will stop responding to burglar alarms.

Businesses issued a suspension notice will be reviewed for reinstatement after one calendar year. Police will consider the number of post-suspension false alarms and any info submitted by the alarm company as to the steps taken to resolve false alarm causes.

“The Saint John Police urges businesses to immediately address faulty equipment that may cause frequent false alarms,” said the police force.

Schools and hospitals will be exempt from the policy. So are hold-up alarms at businesses and financial institutions.