Disappointing Police response

[Cupcake]

Yep, about the best yu ca do is go home and check out the perimeter. Than call 911 personally if there is evidence of a break in.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[BlackPR]

It almost makes me want to set up an outside speaker that plays really loud, obnoxious rap music when the alarm goes off. That'd bring the police.

[Montanya]

Would make me want to call ADT and tell them that this incident is making you re-think your monitoring service with them, if no police are going to respond then why bother? Perhaps ADT will light some fires and do some research with the police on what their response might be.

[Knuckledrager]

Move to SE PA. We still check residential alarms. > than 3 false activations in a calendar year and you get a fine though.

[SIXTO]

If did a complete check of every alarm drop we got, we would have to hire 5 more guys to do just that full time.

Since you asked, an alarm drop is no where near enough to make entry.

[dang.45]

The year that I left CA, the city I was in actually announced in the papers that they would no longer be responding to burglar alarms. At least your area doesn't seem to have done that yet...

I can understand the no-check policy - the stats I saw said that (if I remember correctly), at least 97% of all alarm calls are false. It is a ridiculous strain on the PD to have to check them all out. I'd actually fault the alarm companies - they are still advertising that they'll contact the PD, even though they've gotta know that the PD isn't going to care in an increasing number of areas around the country.

The noise-maker aspect of the alarm is, I'm sure, a decent deterrent, but it might almost be better for security companies to start marketing systems that will have hidden video cameras both inside & out so that there'll be an increased likelihood that the criminals can be ID'd later. I think we need to start coming up with more effective ways to make our homes more fortress-like - the harder it is for a BG to get in, the less likely it'll be they'll try.

But what the heck do I know - I'm still renting an apartment!

[MR D]

funny - my first alarm system "rang in" at the PD

of course it was sooo loud you had to have ear plugs and muffs on

our system covered all glass and doors as well as motion detectors and pressure sensitive mats under the carpet...

we were allowed one "free" test per month - they preferred that you call first and notify that you were testing

False alarms cost $75 first time and up from there

this was 1982 or so in suburban MD

[Reborn]

I wonder if the BGs ever check with PDs to see if they answer alarm in that town or city..........very interesting.

[PaulBk]

... We still check residential alarms. > than 3 false activations in a calendar year and you get a fine though.

Same here in unincorporated King Co. The one time my ADT alarm went off in the last 5 years the Sheriff's arrived in less than 15 minutes, conducted a perimeter search, and waited an additional 10 minutes for me to arrive

BTW - It was an actual attempted break in.


-Paul

[ron8903]

If did a complete check of every alarm drop we got, we would have to hire 5 more guys to do just that full time.

Since you asked, an alarm drop is no where near enough to make entry.

Same in our Department, no physical evidence of break in, Dispatch contacts key holder and on to the next call.

[abuttermilk]

"The police didn't check any of my windows, even the ones easily accessible on the front and sides of the house." That part there kind of bothers me, so a suggestion. Plant roses underneath those windows that are easily accessible. They are one heck of a deterrent to anything that gets into them. Plus, you have an aroma that drifts through the house when the windows are open and the obvious beauty. Also, they require a little pruning, etc., that really changes your image as the gun toting bad guy when the anti rights people see you out there doing it.
Part of protecting your property is taking every precaution you can.

[mcp1810]

How long did it take ADT to get their people out there?

[PaulBk]

In my neighborhood, ADT doesn't respond. They notify local first responders, who respond according to local policy.

-Paul

[Cupcake]

And I spent a year or so responding to alarms on behalf of ADT (I worked for a contractor) but only commercial/industrial places. Too much liability in residential response so ADT dispatch only called PD and the person on the account, instead of us.

[digitalexplr]

One of the reasons some agencies do not respond to residential alarms is because the home owners to not properly maintain their systems which results in a very high number of false alarms. Now consider if you are the victim of some criminal act on the otherside of town but there is no one to respond cause the officers are responding to another false alarm?

The agency I worked for did and still does respond to every alarm. Our philosophy was that we could not take the chance that the alarm was real. We caught a lot of burglars, too.

That said, I understand why some agencies have gone the other way, though I still disagree with their decision.