(CA) Police commission vote aims to curb response to false burglar alarms

[Drizzt]

Copley News Service


January 7, 2003 Tuesday

SECTION: CALIFORNIA ONLY

LENGTH: 414 words

HEADLINE: Police commission vote aims to curb response to false burglar alarms

BYLINE: David Zahniser Copley News Service

DATELINE: LOS ANGELES

BODY:
The Police Commission voted Tuesday to reduce sharply the Los Angeles Police Department's responses to private security alarms, saying false alarm calls are a drain on limited police resources.

Under the special order passed by the commission, officers will no longer go to the site of a triggered alarm unless the security company running the alarm has verified visually that an emergency is taking place.

The vote drew protests from homeowners and owners of small businesses alike, who said they were losing the one tool that allows them to cope with the city's lack of police coverage. "We've lived with (the lack of officers) and we accept that," said James O'Sullivan, president of the Miracle Mile Residential Association. "But the one thing that happens when we go to bed at night is we set the alarm, and we fully expect that when the alarm goes off, the police are going to come."

The proposal comes as Police Chief William Bratton and the commission, whose five members are appointed by Mayor James Hahn, look for ways to redirect resources in a department that is short hundreds of officers.

The LAPD responds to nearly 136,000 burglary alarm calls annually, 92 percent of which have been deemed false, according to department figures. By avoiding such alarm calls, police officials believe they will increase patrol time by 15 percent.

"We have to deal with the deployment," said Commissioner David Cunningham III. "We can't bring in 1,000 officers overnight."

Representatives of the security industry argue that the new procedure would cause alarm costs to skyrocket by up to $800 per home annually, by forcing consumers to purchase video cameras or other, more expensive security systems. Residents of low-income neighborhoods, they said, will be affected the most.

"Who we're really hurting here is the low-end consumer that cannot afford ... the patrol, the armed response or the new technology," said Tony Storm, vice president of a Culver City-based security company. "Not responding to those people would be a crime in itself."

Arnie Bell, president of the Southern California Security Association, said the industry will press the City Council to reverse the commission's action, which will be followed in six months by a reworked alarm ordinance.

The special order passed Tuesday does offer two exceptions: alarms that go off at firearms businesses or at buildings patrolled by the LAPD, including the offices of the City Council.
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So, you can't have a gun to protect yourself, but they refuse to assist you as well?

 

[TheeBadOne]

I remember seeing a news program on alarms in big cities (I think it way shot in Philly, and I it was some show like 20/20 or Dateline). A cameraman rode with a Police Officer on the night shift. All they did for the entire shift was respond to one alarm after another, all false, most with no response by owners or keyholders. The cop said this is what he does all night everynight and hasn't been to a valid alarm in 12 years. It made a good point to what a drain on resources alarms are (the vast majority are false due to owner error, old systems, etc). I can see why a large city would look at the issue.

 

[Dan Shapiro]

Huh. That's not a good solution. The city my father patrols allows one or two false alarms (per year) and then the city starts hitting the store/home owner for big $$. The problem is solved quite fast.

The special order passed Tuesday does offer two exceptions: alarms that go off at firearms businesses or at buildings patrolled by the LAPD, including the offices of the City Council

 

[Greg L]

indeed

Did anyone else catch the fact that the police will only respond after someone from the security company has made a visual of the location? The response time will now be measured in hours instead of minutes. The best that can come of this (for us, not the poor guy who needs help NOW) is that there is enough crimes that aren't stopped/solved for something to be done. However given that it is in CA., don't look for the personal responsibility angle.

I've also heard that big fines after "x" # of false alarms cuts them WAY back.

Greg

 

[Don45cal]

This is just another reason in a long list that proves dial 911 and die! That front line police are becoming more and more like security. Observe and report. The crime is over and now try to figure it out. Another bad administrative call!!!!

In Philly a false alarm can cost you $$$$. Without a permit for the alarm system it can cost you in fines for false alarms. Also before the police respond to a private home the security company calls them. The sounding alarm does NOT go directly to PD.

 

[Airwolf]

"But the one thing that happens when we go to bed at night is we set the alarm, and we fully expect that when the alarm goes off, the police are going to come."

More of the "I wont take responsibility for my safety but expect that the armed police will come and do it for me" attitude.

Baaa, baaa, BAH! :banghead:

 

[Coronach]

The response time will now be measured in hours instead of minutes.

When was response time ever measured in minutes? Thats kinda the point, no?- that they're swamped with alarm calls and unable to respond in a timely manner to, well, anything.

I agree with posters who have already stated that the better way to handle this is skyrocketing fines. That way:

1. Nonsense calls get cut down, and cops get to go back to actually doing something besides ride from false alarm to false alarm.

2. Responsible alarm owners get to maintain whatever illusion of security they want from having an alarm system.

3. The city gets to make a LOT of money off the idjits who can't run their alarms.

However, I also can't imagine that they haven't tried that already...its a pretty obvious response.

Mike

 

[TheeBadOne]

High fines for mutiple false alarms sounds like a good idea, but I bet it's tough to implement. I imagine the good old business men and various chamber of commerce type groups fight this tooth and nail. It'd have to be enforced through a city ordinance and I wonder how often the fines are paid. Sounds worth looking into.

 

[Gordon]

I think the point is "property crimes are not on our agenda when we have drug crimes and revenue generating traffic offenses " . problem could be easily fixed with fines for false alarms. Why would they want to confront a burglar when they can go talk to someone in a domestic dispute ect. ect.

 

[DeltaElite]

A few years back I went to a residential alarm call and the folks were from Mexico.
They politely asked why I was there and I explained to them the reason for my presence.
They were flabbergasted and explained that in Mexico, the cops don't waste time on peoples alarms, that is what the alarm companies are paid to do.
Yet, we call them a third world country.

Alarm calls are a waste of time and resources.
Over 99% of alarms are false and we fine the crap out of people for wasting our time.
In all reality, by the time the alarm company reports the alarm to police, 5 minutes or more have elapsed, so any potential bad guys are long gone.
Yet, we drive over there and waste more time, when the owner of the business or residence is too damn lazy to even respond to check out there own property, even knowing that we are there.

Sigh, I hate alarms. They are a total waste of time.

 

[mrat]

To everyone who is getting there knickers in a bunch about the POLICE not wanting to respond to alarms. I know it is in vogue to bash the police but the Police Commission in LA is non LEOs. The five commissioners are not and never have been LEOs.

Why would they want to confront a burglar when they can go talk to someone in a domestic dispute ect. ect.

Actually Gordon domestic disputes are statistically more dangerous than burglary in progress calls. More LEOs are injured/killed in domestic disputes than any other call.