The Alarm Policy - Letter to Industry
scheduled to take effect January 1, 2004

The new citywide Alarm Policy is scheduled to go into effect January 1st. As the only entities that currently have contact with the majority of alarm users, the Alarm Companies have been notified that they should explain the need to register all alarm systems to their customers.

At LACP we've covered this topic extensively over many months. If you wish to read the history start by clicking on the link below. Be sure to click on the other LACP links as you encounter them:

Police Commission Approved Special Order

Here's the current news release, followed by the full text of the letter from the Police Commission, followed by a list of where people can go to register their alarm systems:

LOS ANGELES POLICE COMMISSION MEDIA RELEASE

Los Angeles - On January 1, 2004, the new Los Angeles Police Alarm Policy is scheduled to go into effect. At this time, the alarm companies are the only entities that have direct contact with all Los Angeles alarm owners, therefore, a letter from the Los Angeles Police Commission has been sent to all Los Angeles alarm companies outlining the new policy, so that they may inform their customers of the changes.

The letter reads as follows:

This letter is also viewable on LAPDOnline.org and is being sent to numerous community groups including the members of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment and Community Police Advisory Boards.

Attachments: Police Commission Letter to All Alarm Companies, December 2, 2003 Office of Finance, Tax & Permit Section, Branch Offices

LOS ANGELES POLICE COMMISSION Board of POLICE COMMISSIONERS DAVID S. CUNNINGHAM, III PRESIDENT ALAN SKOBIN VICE PRESIDENT RICK J. CARUSO ROSE OCHI SILVIA SAUCEDO JULIE. E. VALENZUELA COMMISSION EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT II JAMES K. HAHN MAYOR DANIEL R. KOENIG EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ANDRE BIROTTE, JR. INSPECTOR GENERAL EXECUTIVE OFFICE SUITE 144-150, PARKER CENTER 150 N. LOS ANGELES STREET LOS ANGELES, CA 90012 (213) 485-3531 PHONE (213) 485-8861 FAX ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ December 2, 2003 To All Alarm Companies Operating in the City of Los Angeles: As I am sure you are aware, the Los Angeles Police Department is scheduled to amend its dispatching policy for burglary alarm calls effective January 1, 2004. In addition to several other public outreach efforts, we are asking alarm companies to notify their customers of these changes as soon as possible. The objectives of this new policy are to preserve the crime deterrent effect provided to those who utilize alarm systems, address the minority of alarm owners who generate false alarms, and improve the LAPD's response to criminal activity associated with verified alarm activations. Essentially, the new policy will continue the current practice of dispatching a patrol unit to a location for two alarm activation calls that are deemed to be false within a 12-month period. (Verified alarm activations as well as robbery or panic alarms are not affected by this policy change.) After two burglary alarm calls are deemed to be false within a 12-month period, a patrol unit will not be dispatched unless the alarm is verified either by someone at the location or through remote electronic visual inspection. When verification cannot be obtained, the call will be broadcast over the police radio allowing patrol units to respond to the alarm call if and when they are available. Another important component of this effort is a proposed change in false alarm fees. Currently, the City imposes a fine only after two false alarms per year if the alarm user has a permit or after the first false alarm activation in a year if the user does not have the required permit. (A City Ordinance requires alarm users to have a Police Commission permit which can be obtained at any Office of Finance regional office.) The Police Commission has recommended that the City Council impose a penalty of $95 for the first false alarm in a year and an additional $50 for each subsequent alarm during that year. The Police Commission has also recommended that those fines be doubled when an alarm user does not have a Police Commission permit and that the installation of any new alarm system be prohibited until the alarm user obtains the required alarm permit. These and other recommendations will be decided by the City Council when it considers revisions to the City's Alarm Ordinance. I thank you in advance for your cooperation in advising your alarm users of these changes. I also strongly encourage you to consider the Los Angeles City Burglar Alarm Task Force recommendation that alarm companies institute a dual phone verification system before contacting the Police Department. Two-call verification, e.g., attempting to contact the subscriber at a secondary telephone number when contact cannot be made at the primary number, has proven effective in substantially reducing false alarm calls. Original signed by: Daniel R. Koenig, Executive Director Board of Police Commissioners Attachment

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