Since last August, local police officers have responded to over 700 false alarm reports. The Alberta RCMP are hoping changes to their alarm policy will help cut down time spent responding to these calls.
“When members are dispatched to an alarm, it takes time to attend the call and investigate it. When those alarms turnout to be false, it can be frustrating for the members who could have been spending that time on other more pressing matters,” said Sgt. Sarah Parke, acting detachment commander for the Bonnyville RCMP.
She continued, “It does eat up a lot of the members’ time. It’s not that they mind attending these calls, especially if they’re legitimate, but if we can try to mitigate the amount of time we attend false alarms, it’s going to be beneficial to us to be able to perform our duties more effectively, and in turn, that will benefit the community.”
Last year, RCMP in Alberta responded to almost 15,500 false alarm reporters, equating to nearly 8,000 man hours.
The policy, which took effect July 13, means officers will no longer respond to alarms that are only triggered once. However, RCMP will respond to ATM, multi-zone intrusion, panic, distress, holdup, glass-break, domestic violence, and verified alarms.
“We’re not going to wait for a second hit on those types of alarms,” Parke noted.
A second hit is another acknowledgement that there is movement inside of the building or on the premises.
“When there’s multiple hits, that indicates it’s more likely to be a legitimate break in or vandalism, because it’s not just a balloon or something floating down from the rafters that might set off a one hit alarm. When there’s more than one, that indicates there is potentially someone moving throughout that premise,” described Parke.
The RCMP recommend alarm users take a few extra steps to prevent false alarms. Proper placement of equipment, knowing your alarm codes, securing all windows and doors, replacing batteries regularly, and reporting damaged or faulty equipment to the alarm company are just some of the tips they suggest.
Parke said if there is any knowledge that your alarm system can be faulty, it’s important to get it fixed as soon as you notice.
“It’s really important that alarm users hold the alarm company responsible for when it’s not operating properly, because a lot of people think that it’s probably fine, and then one of two things can happen: they could have a legit break-in and their system could not work, and false alarms can tend to happen as well.”
“You can help us keep our 911 lines open and our officers free to respond to real emergencies,” noted A/Commr. John Gerguson, criminal operations officer CORE at “K” Division, in a release. “By cutting down on false alarms, we can ensure our officers are where they’re needed most.”
