Citizens of Lubbock took to social media on Monday to voice opposition to a new tax fee passed by the Lubbock City Council last month. It was an issue that received virtually no pushback on and while it wasn’t hidden from the citizens, it certainly didn’t make headlines until after the rule went into effect.
Citizens Must Now Give The City of Lubbock $50 for an Alarm Permit
The Lubbock City Council, working with the Lubbock Police Department passed this new fee, they say, to cut down on false alarms. According to LPD, in a given year there are about 18,000 alarm calls. More than 95% are false alarms.
I get it, the Lubbock Police Department only has so many resources. False alarms take officers and resources away from other things they could be doing. LPD hopes, according to their Facebook page, that the $50 fee will motivate people to keep their alarm system is in “good working order”.
READ MORE: New Alarm Permit Process Begins In Lubbock
Of course that could also be accomplished by just fining people who have 3 or more false alarms. By the way, there are fines/fee’s for false alarms in the updated ordinance.
The Police Could Ignore Your Alarm If You Don’t Pay
While your city taxes go to pay for safety and security, if you have an alarm system and choose not to pay the fee, the police may not respond.
Seriously. It’s in the ordinance on page 2.
Does this mean they will always ignore your alarm? No, but they could since it is in writing. Oh and if you violate the new ordinance? That could be a fine of up to $500 EACH DAY.
City Hall Money Grab Or Problem Solver?
As you can tell from the Facebook page of the Lubbock Police that I will post below, most citizens seemed to be outraged by this. And I side with those who are outraged. In my opinion, this is a money grab from a money hungry City Council that likes to talk occasionally about wanting to save people money, but then they pull this. It wasn’t that long ago that Lubbock Mayor Mark McBrayer complained about the Lubbock City Council not cutting enough from the budget. Where was the mayor on this? $50 may not seem like a lot, but every little bit helps.
And sorry Lubbock Police, I get where you are coming from on false alarms, but I don’t see this cutting down on anything. But it does raise more questions.
Last year, the Lubbock Police Department stopped responding to “minor car accidents” where there were no injuries. Instead, citizens could file online. The reason given? Not enough resources. Now, the same excuse.
Lubbock Citizens have traditionally supported the police and pay raises for police. But instead of more services and more boots on the ground, it seems like less.
And sorry City Council members, just because other cities are doing it doesn’t make it right.
This is a money grab and it was done quietly because City Hall didn’t want you there giving them a piece of your mind. They raised your taxes and now they are taking more money from you. What’s next? A wind fee? A fireplace permit fee? An outdoor fire pit permit fee?
Yes, citizens of Lubbock, you should be angry.
The Top 10 Most Wanted Gang Fugitives in Lubbock For August 2025Lubbock Police, Lubbock County Sheriff’s Department, and even authorities in other parts of Texas are looking for these fugitives who have been spotted before in the Lubbock area. Take a look and see if you recognize any of these fugitives. Gallery Credit: Chad Hasty 
