Nassau County legislators voted against a bill Wednesday evening that would have increased fines for false burglar alarms.

Lawmakers said police respond to nearly 100 false calls for every real emergency. Democratic legislators introduced the bill that would've increased fines for people who did not apply for alarm permits, and for people with excessive amounts of false alarms.

Presiding Officer Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury) said the county must make good use of its resources. "We only have a certain amount of police," Jacobs said. "Use them wisely."

Republicans accused Democrats of upping fines to fill the looming budget gap. They also said the bill would have given police incentive not to respond to calls.

Three Democrats broke ranks and two Republicans were not present for the vote. The final tally was 10 votes against and seven in favor.