Burglar Alarms.

[Nixjim]

Just heard on the CBS evening news that LA Police have decided they will no longer respond to burglar alarms unless someone also confirms over the phone that a real burglary is taking place.
They claim most calls are false alarms, and only one alarm run has actually resulted in an arrest.

Residents are upset, claiming it gives criminals free reign, why should they worry when they no the cops won't respond?

What further angers them is that city councilmen and politicians are exempt, their alarms will get high priority.

So what do you all think, are alarms a good deterrant or a waster of the police officers time?
As a side note, Salt Lake City has the same policy, and burglaries there dropped when it was inacted, presumably because the officers have more time to spend working instead of responding to false alarms.

[Androme]

this is already present with ADT alarm systems over here in UK

nothing new.

[Nixjim]

Originally posted by Androme2
this is already present with ADT alarm systems over here in UK

nothing new.

So if a burglary occurs when no one is home, nothing happens? So why bother having the alarm at all?

[acropolis]

as long as you don't tell everyone that you are no longer responsding to burglar alarms, all is good.

but now they've gone and ****ed that idea up.

[Vanilla]

Even if alarms go off the guys in your house are long gone by the time the police get there.

i've always regarded them as alarms to alrt you and your neighbours.

A lot of people ignore house alarms these days, which is why it's important to get to know your neighbours so they actually care

[Tactitus]

My city has a pay-for-false-house-alarms policy. You get like 1 or 2 "free" false alarms per year; after that you get charged for the cost of responding.

[queball]

Originally posted by Nixjim

What further angers them is that city councilmen and politicians are exempt, their alarms will get high priority.

If they are at an elevated risk of being burgled then this wouldn't bother me, but this sounds quite out of order.

[LHC]

Alarms don't work.

Here's the situation.

Thief breaks into home, and sensor detects them.
Alarm sounds (neenorneenor)
Thief continues stealing
Neighbour gets annoyed.
Neighbour says "IF THEY DONT TURN OF THAT EFFING ALARM NOW ILL SHOOT THEM"
Alarm turns off after a very long time of being very annoying, while the Thief escapes with the loot.

[sigrid]

Originally posted by Nixjim
Just heard on the CBS evening news that LA Police have decided they will no longer respond to burglar alarms unless someone also confirms over the phone that a real burglary is taking place.
They claim most calls are false alarms, and only one alarm run has actually resulted in an arrest.

Residents are upset, claiming it gives criminals free reign, why should they worry when they no the cops won't respond?

What further angers them is that city councilmen and politicians are exempt, their alarms will get high priority.

So what do you all think, are alarms a good deterrant or a waster of the police officers time?
As a side note, Salt Lake City has the same policy, and burglaries there dropped when it was inacted, presumably because the officers have more time to spend working instead of responding to false alarms.

I guess as a poice-officer ican safely say 99% of all alarms are false....cat set it off, ppl are too drunk to remember their code, they didnot bother calling us when they BY ACCIDENT set it off themselves or they left a window open etc etc.
Its usually a wast of a lot of time wich can be used better imo, specially when you go to the same adress over and over again. PPL dont seem to be polite enuff to say sorry or to fix the problem, so imo after 3 false alarms the police should stop responding, ot make the person who's alarm it is pay for it...

[djbass]

Alarms on their own these days are as useless as buggery. They do however force the criminal into a smash and grab situation, so as long as you have adequate protection (deadlocks, security blinds etc) it's not going to be worth their time to break in. Though, I think based on that idea silent alarms have some merit. The criminal breaks in, takes a bit of time surveying the place, little aware that the police are on their way.

=[DJ Bass]=

[Snurx]

Here in Norway, if your alarm sounds, (and you have the same company as "we" have) the alarm company rings up. If you have the "code", the alarm stops and nothing happnes. If not, or nobody responds, a car whit private security guards rush to the scene, while at the same time alerts the police. After 3 false alarms a year, they go out anyways, and if it turns out to be false, you have to pay for it.

[sayonara]

I have automated sentry guns and hydrogen cyanide jets in my house so I really don't give a **** if the alarm goes off or not.

Well, that's what the signs say anyway.

[W]

Originally posted by Nixjim
Just heard on the CBS evening news that LA Police have decided they will no longer respond to burglar alarms unless someone also confirms over the phone that a real burglary is taking place.
They claim most calls are false alarms, and only one alarm run has actually resulted in an arrest.

Residents are upset, claiming it gives criminals free reign, why should they worry when they no the cops won't respond?

What further angers them is that city councilmen and politicians are exempt, their alarms will get high priority.

So what do you all think, are alarms a good deterrant or a waster of the police officers time?
As a side note, Salt Lake City has the same policy, and burglaries there dropped when it was inacted, presumably because the officers have more time to spend working instead of responding to false alarms.

This is great, cause it alerts people to the fact that an alarm that only make sound, only makes sound. If they want an alarm that make someone come and protect their home, they will have to pay for it, and if they want everyone to have an alarm that makes someone come and protect their home, they really need to vote for politicians which will provide that. If they can find anyone stupid enough (it's not a proposition that pays off). If they just want their own home protected, and don't care about paying for those that can't afford such an alarm, then they really need to consider why they're outraged about VIP's getting it.

[Jammers]

Americans have burgular alarms? I thought all crime had been eliminated due to the wide proliferation of guns.

[sayonara]

No, that was the war on crime. The guns came along after the war on drugs ended, but before the war on burglar alarm noise offenders.