By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice
Some private property owners are turning back the clock to install 19th century alarms, and a bill in the state legislature aims to define the practice.
House Bill 25-1060, by Delta County Republican Rep. Matt Soper and Arapahoe County Democrat Rep. Chad Clifford, seeks a uniform definition of an electronic fence detection system which can cause an alarm to signal a property owner or others, a flashback to the ADT of yesteryear.
“These things look like Jurassic Park,” Clifford said. “It is an alarm system that goes all the way back to the 1800s.”
But some find the bill to be an overreach, like Republican Rep. Dan Woog, who was among the opposition in the House’s Transportation, Housing & Local Government Committee. The measure advanced to a second reading on the floor Thursday following a 7-5 vote of support in committee.
“Right now, we have a problem with copper theft. Upwards of $1 million a week is being stolen around the state,” Soper said. He indicates the systems are being used to prevent the theft.
El Paso Republican Rep. Ken DeGraaf questioned the purpose.
“Why does this need to be regulated?” he asked.
Soper explained, “You could have a property straddling two jurisdictions and it needs some consistency.”
In that analogy, a property lying in both Arapahoe and Weld counties could face two different policies.
But, it might not be fair to claim the measure regulates the systems.
“Municipalities and counties determine what they need to regulate,” Clifford said. “This bill does not impact that.”
Local governments can require instatallation or operational requirements, permitting and inspection, a bill summary reads.
“This would empower owners of property to have an alarm system before the theft happens,” Soper said. “We don’t want to see more people in jail. We want to see more theft discouraged.”
The measure passed on a voice vote and will return at a later date for a third reading and recorded vote for potential passage out of the House.