In a rare moment of collective clarity, Lubbock’s City Council realized they might’ve accidentally charged residents fifty bucks for the privilege of not getting robbed. The now-repealed alarm ordinance required homeowners to buy a permit before their alarm could even be activated—because nothing says “public safety” like a government paywall.
Councilman David Glasheen admitted the vote was “a mistake,” which is refreshing honesty in a city where “we didn’t understand what we passed” is basically the official motto. Assistant Chief Neal Barron then dropped the shocking revelation that, yes, maybe they should’ve looked at data before passing the law. Apparently, facts are the new cutting-edge technology at City Hall.
Council members agreed false alarms are a problem, but decided that maybe punishing everyone wasn’t the solution. Dr. Wilson even pointed out that charging innocent homeowners while crime rises is a bad look—especially in a town where the porch pirate population is starting to rival the prairie dog population.
So, after weeks of outrage, confusion, and a little public humiliation, the City Council did what any good alarm system does: it went off, made a bunch of noise, and then quietly reset itself.
