NCJ Number
212553
Journal
Criminal Justice Policy Review Volume: 16 Issue: 4 Dated: December 2005 Pages: 499-506
Date Published
December 2005
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study examined the nature of the relationship between the imposition of penalties, through false alarm reduction strategies and the number of false alarm calls for police service generated by individual alarm systems and identified variations in residential, commercial, and nonprofit property type alarm holder’s performance.
Abstract
The use of security systems has been utilized more widely in recent years. More businesses and residences use private security systems predominantly in reaction to an escalating fear of crime, as well as the low cost and availability of sophisticated electronics. However, with the increase in private security systems comes the increase in the number of false alarms. To address this issue, a variety of security alarm regulatory polices have developed in jurisdictions across the country. The security alarm regulatory efforts, consist mainly of fines and penalties for false alarms, function to reduce false alarm calls for service, to capture data, and to generate revenue. This study examined how one municipal fine schedule affected the generation of false security alarm calls for police service by residential, commercial, and nonprofit property types. The study sample consisted of a panel of all alarm permits issued in 1991 (N=414) and the corresponding false alarm data from permit issuance through 1997. During the implementation of the reduction strategy, false alarms per alarm system dropped. False alarm calls for service were reduced by an average of about 50 percent during the period analyzed, translating into significant patrol time savings. Figures, tables, references