Burglar Alarm Perspective
from an Alarm Company representative

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Neighborhood Councils and Burglar Alarms
Date: Thu, 9 Jan 2003 13:06:21 -0800
From: "Matt Klink" matt@cerrell.com
Reply-To: matt@cerrell.com

To all Neighborhood Council Representatives:

The attached Adobe Acrobat document [LACP has reproduced it below] details an issue of which we believe you should be made aware. The Police Commission, with little or no input from L.A. residents or business owners (and without any input from neighborhood councils) has passed a non-response policy regarding residential and commercial burglar alarms. This issue is explained in more detail in the attached flier.

We would like you to contact your Los Angeles City Council member and ask him or her to assert jurisdiction on this issue -- so neighborhood councils, homeowner associations and other interested parties can discuss this public safety issue in an open public forum.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Matt Klink

Matthew N. Klink
Vice President Cerrell Associates, Inc.
320 N. Larchmont Blvd., 2nd Floor
Los Angeles, California 90004
PH: 323-466-3445
FX: 323-466-8653
matt@cerrell.com http://www.cerrell.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Attachment:

On Tuesday, January 7, 2003, the L.A. Police Commission approved a policy that will require either in-person or video verification that a break-in has occurred before the LAPD will dispatch a police vehicle to your residence or business. NO NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS WERE NOTIFIED OF THIS SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC POLICY CHANGE, IMPACTING ALL LOS ANGELES COMMUNITIES, PRIOR TO THE POLICE COMMISSION'S ACTION.

THIS UNILATERAL POLICY DECISION IS NOT FINAL, BUT THE L.A. CITY COUNCIL MUST VOTE TO TAKE JURISDICTION OF THIS MATTER OR IT WILL BECOME FINAL. THIS VOTE WILL OCCUR AT THE JANUARY 14, 2003 L.A. CITY COUNCIL MEETING.

This non-response policy was adopted with little, if any, public input. The overwhelming majority of L.A. residents and business owners have no idea that the Police Commission was even contemplating such a policy. No member of the public spoke in favor of this non-response policy and the Police Commission completely ignored efforts of the alarm industry to offer proven solutions to reduce the number of false dispatches citywide.

If this significant public policy change disturbs you, please do the following immediately:

1. Contact your Los Angeles City Council member by telephone or e-mail and urge him/her to take jurisdiction of this matter by close of business on Monday, January 13, 2003 because the council vote will occur at 10 a.m. on January 14. Contact information is attached to this letter.

2. Attend the Los Angeles City Council meeting on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 at 10 a.m. and voice your concern on this issue.

This non-response policy will have a significant impact on not only residential and commercial burglar alarm owners citywide, but also on all Los Angeles residents.

Make your voice heard. Contact your L.A. City Councilmember today and tell him/her to hold public hearings on this important public safety issue.

Sincerely,

Mark Sepulveda
President, Greater Los Angeles Security Alarm Association

COUNCIL CONTACT INFORMATION: