| "It's working out on both ends," Police Commission spokeswoman Tami Catania said. "They don't get charged for (the first false alarm), and it's better for us because officers can do other things."
Before the policy change, the Los Angeles Police Department was besieged by false-alarm calls, considered a massive waste of time for officers, pulling them away from dealing with real crime.
Even the valid burglar alarms weren't helping catch crooks. In 2001, the department said, 123,000 alarm calls resulted in one arrest - not surprising since it takes police about 45 minutes to arrive after an alarm call.
The commission at that time proposed a radical shift: Officers would no longer respond to a burglar alarm at all unless it was verified by a human - a neighbor, resident, business employee or security guard - that a crime was really in progress.
Residents balked, and so did the City Council, which adopted a compromise plan of requiring verification on a third alarm call at a location that had two false calls that year. Alarm owners are also now charged increasing fines that can reach $351.
Last year, police responded to less than half the number of alarm calls as in 2003 - 52,845, compared with 107,642 eight years prior.
While nearly 80 percent were still false alarms, that's down from the 95 percent it used to be.
Brett Salles, who owns Acme Valley Security in Van Nuys, said the prospect of big fines has helped cut down on false alarms, but so has improving alarm technology.
He said new customers mention the fines all the time but most aren't dissuaded from getting security systems because they still want peace of mind.
"I think what it's done more than anything is it's encouraged people to get a permit," Salles said.
A city permit - $34 the first time, then $30 a year - cuts the cost of a false alarm fine by $100 to $150. And you can take an online "alarm school" class to get the first fine waived.
There were 129,922 permit holders in the city last year, and the city collected more than $7.8 million in false alarm fines from them as well as from people without permits, Catania said.
City Council members can get free alarm systems at their homes, don't have to pay for permits and aren't fined for any false alarms. An alarm at a council member's house is sent directly to police, rather than an alarm company, meaning a much quicker response.
Police have defended that practice, saying the nature of elected officials' jobs makes them potential targets.
For years, the city had lagged in collecting false alarm fines, but the Police Commission - which directly oversees the alarm program - said that's improved since a system called Cry Wolf was installed in 2009.
Salles said the majority of false alarms happen in the first month a system is installed, when people aren't used to using it.
Installers try to teach people how to arm and disarm the alarm, but human nature comes into play.
http://www.dailynews.com/crime/ci_20957300/false-alarms-down-sharply
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LOS ANGELES
POLICE COMMISSION
MEDIA RELEASE |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
June 27, 2012 |
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Tami Catania
(213) 236-1405 |
FALSE ALARM REDUCTION PROGRAM
IS A SUCCESS AT LAPD
Los Angeles: There has been a dramatic drop in officers being called out to burglar alarm activations which turn out to be false. In 2003, before a new City Ordinance was in place, LAPD officers responded to 102,532 false alarm calls. In 2011, LAPD officers responded to 41,848 false alarm calls, representing a 59.2% decrease in nine years. With each call representing an average consumption of 45 minutes of valuable public safety resources, this decrease represents approximately 45,500 hours annually of officer and dispatcher time for more immediate public safety needs.
“We are very pleased with the consistently decreasing number of false alarm calls,” stated Richard Tefank, Executive Director of the Los Angeles Police Commission, where the Alarm Section for the LAPD is housed. “This has resulted in a significant savings of time officers spend responding to false alarms, which leaves them available to respond in a more timely manner to other calls for service.”
How was this success achieved? In 2009, “CryWolf” was installed. “CryWolf” is a computer tracking system which integrates all City functions related to burglar alarms including permits, dispatch of calls for service, and tracking of those calls through the billing process. “CryWolf” even allows the alarm subscriber the opportunity to attend virtual Alarm School on the internet to have one false alarm fee waived per 365-day period. The “CryWolf” system fully enabled the goal of the Los Angeles City Ordinance change of 2004, which was to reduce false alarms in the City.
The success of false alarms reduction can be seen in the attached table. Not only are the number of actual alarm incidents down, but the percentage of those calls being false alarms is down as well.
In the City of Los Angeles, all alarm subscribers are required to maintain an Alarm Permit. The Los Angeles City Ordinance allows alarm subscribers two unverified alarm calls per 365-day period, however all responses to false alarm calls by officers are billed to the alarm subscriber. There are no “free” responses to a false alarm. Upon the third alarm call after two false alarms, verification will be required before a patrol unit is dispatched. Absent verification, the alarm call will be subject to “broadcast and file,” which means the 911 operator will broadcast the call and officers will respond, if available. The cost of an alarm permit and the fees associated with false alarms are analyzed each year to recover the actual cost to the City of Los Angeles to provide this service.
Questions regarding the responsibilities of maintaining an alarm system in the City of Los Angeles may be directed to the Los Angeles Police Commission, Alarm Section, at 213 996-1200. Additional information may also be found on LAPDOnline.org.
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Alarm Statistics
City of Los Angeles
2003 – 2011
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ACTIVITY |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
Alarm Incidents |
168,847 |
122,133 |
93,267 |
88,295 |
85,271 |
82,864 |
75,461 |
70,546 |
65,683 |
Alarm Calls Dispatched |
107,642 |
79,803 |
62,117 |
58,735 |
60,918 |
66,213 |
59,199 |
53,617 |
52,845 |
False Alarm Activations |
102,532 |
71,434 |
60,026 |
53,845 |
51,199 |
57,422 |
50,780 |
45,339 |
41,848 |
Percentage of False Alarms |
95.2% |
89.5% |
96.6% |
91.7% |
84.0% |
86.7% |
85.7% |
84.6% |
79.2% |
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