FALSE ALARMS AND THE PATROL ADMINISTRATOR - POLICE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE REPORT

• NCJ Number: 48151
• Author(s): J W GREENE
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 0 pages
• Contract Number(s): J-LEAA-002-76
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Public Admin Service; Greene and Associates
• Publication Format: Document

Annotation

A LITERATURE REVIEW, QUESTIONNAIRES, AND INTERVIEWS WERE USED TO DEVELOP A PICTURE OF THE FALSE BURGLARY ALARM PROBLEM AND OF EXISTING LEGISLATION AND POSSIBLE POLICE ACTION IN THIS AREA.

Abstract

THE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE FOUND THAT POLICE AGENCIES TEND TO BLAME FALSE ALARMS ON POOR ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. HOWEVER, MANUFACTURERS FEEL THERE IS A LACK OF UNIFORMITY AMONG POLICE AGENCIES IN DEFINING FALSE ALARMS AND THAT THE PROBLEM IS EXAGGERATED BECAUSE POLICE DO NOT KEEP COMPLETE RECORDS. ANALYSIS OF DATA COLLECTED THROUGH INTERVIEWS WITH 9 LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. 1 CENTRAL ALARM STATION RUN BY A MANUFACTURER, AND 46 SECURITY DIRECTORS FOR RETAIL STORES SUGGESTS THAT FALSE ALARMS TAKE UP A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF POLICE MAN-HOURS. HOWEVER, THE DATA ARE NOT SUFFICIENTLY COMPLETE TO ALLOW THE FORMULATION OF AN EFFECTIVE PLAN TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM. DATA WERE OFTEN MISSING ON POLICE WORKLOAD CHARACTERISTICS, CAUSES OF FALSE ALARMS, SOURCES OF ALARMS, COMPANIES AND SYSTEMS ASSOCIATED WITH FALSE ALARMS, AND THE PREMISES OF ALARM USERS. DATA FROM THE CENTRAL STATION INTERVIEW INDICATED THAT 40 PERCENT OF ALL FALSE ALARMS WERE DUE TO BUSINESSMEN OR THEIR EMPLOYEES OPENING OR CLOSING THEIR STORES. THESE DATA ALSO SHOWED THAT 26.7 PERCENT OF THEIR SUBSCRIBERS WERE THE SOURCES OF MORE THAN ONE FALSE ALARM DURING THE 61-DAY PERIOD STUDIED. THE SECURITY DIRECTORS FELT THAT ONLY ONE-THIRD OF THE FALSE ALARMS WERE DUE TO USERS. THE SECURITY MEN WERE NOT IN FAVOR OF A FALSE ALARM ORDINANCE AND FELT POLICE SHOULD RESPOND QUICKLY TO ALL ALARMS EVEN THOUGH A LARGE PROPORTION ARE FALSE. NEITHER ALARM COMPANIES NOR ALARM USERS CAN BE GROUPED TOGETHER. BOTH RANGE FROM HIGHLY COMPETENT TO MARGINAL IN CHARACTER, WITH A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF BOTH ALARM COMPANIES AND ALARM USERS RESPONSIBLE FOR MOST FALSE ALARMS. THE FINAL SECTION OFFERS A NUMBER OF GUIDELINES FOR SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM. SURVEY DATA IS PRESENTED IN TABULAR FORM. THE PROBLEMS OF USER EDUCATION OF REGULATING ALARM QUALITY ARE DISCUSSED IN DETAIL. THE SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE, RELATED MATERIALS, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE APPENDED. (GLR)