Ordinance might change police response to alarms
The percentage of false alarms attended to might be reduced.
Published Sept. 25, 2009
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An Alarm Communication Center sticker can be viewed in the front window of the Tiger Spirit store located on Ninth Street. A new ordinance might require visual evidence be provided before police can respond to commercial building alarms.
An idea submitted during a city budget session might require commercial alarm systems to provide visual evidence that a crime has occurred before police respond.
Columbia Police Chief Kenneth Burton proposed the idea in late August. City Manager Bill Watkins said this is just an idea and nothing concrete has been worked out.
"It will be up to (Chief Burton) to bring it up," Watkins said.
Watkins also said nearly 2,000 man hours are wasted responding to false alarms every year.
Detective Jeff Westbrook of the Columbia Police Department said all alarms are responded to without any sort of verification.
"If it's an alarm, they go to it," Westbrook said.
A letter written to Watkins from Stan Martin, executive director of the Security Industry Alarm Coalition, stated more than half of the invalid alarm dispatches are caused by about 10 percent of the alarm users, and it would be unfair to limit or stop response to the majority of responsible system owners who seldom have problems.
"He's just trying to protect his business," Watkins said. "I think Stan is making much ado about almost nothing."
The SIAC is a non-profit organization that offers consultation services to cities regarding alarm dispatches, Martin said. It focuses primarily on lowering the number of false alarm calls police departments receive.
"There are multiple issues (with visual verification)," Martin said. "No. 1, probably most significant, is the danger to citizens that respond to their own alarm systems."
Martin said he worries about situations in which, due to tough economic conditions, homeowners or business owners might attempt to confront a criminal instead of calling for a police response.
"It's not what people should be doing," he said. "This is really what the police do. That is why (SIAC) works with cities to reduce alarm dispatches. We promote ordinances. We help cities come up with better solutions."
Martin also suggests fines are given to those who abuse the response system. He said a two-call verification alarm system, permits and system registration will help reduce false alarm responses.
"It's not uncommon to see 70 or 80 percent in reductions in alarm dispatches if cities will follow the suggestions we make," Martin said.
Internal studies performed by SIAC produced these numbers.