Policy Text
Policy
415Fremont Police Department
Alarm Response
415.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE
Members of this department shall respond to all alarms in a manner most appropriate for the type
of alarm. This policy is designed to establish a systematic field response to alarms that will provide
a reasonable degree of protection and safety to all persons and property concerned. This policy
shall not restrict dispatching calls for service or response procedures when additional information
is received indicating the alarm is truly a crime in progress.
Response to alarms emanating from Financial Institutions during business hours will be with
sufficient staff and handled in a manner that will provide optimum safety of all persons involved.
This policy is designed to establish procedural guidelines for police officers responding to such
alarms and to implement a cooperative alarm program with Financial Institution officials when the
need arises.
415.1.1 VERIFIED RESPONSE TO ALARM CALLS
In an effort to use the resources of the Police Department in the most efficient manner and to
ensure that police resources are available in a reported emergency the Police Department now
has adopted a verified response model to alarm calls. Due to the continued high number of false
burglary/property intrusion alarms, the Fremont Police Department does not routinely respond
unless additional information is received to verify the validity of the alarm.
The former policy for alarm dispatch and response caused the inefficient use of resources. The
decision to implement a verified alarm response policy is based upon the immediate need to more
efficiently use the resources we have in the Fremont Police Department. It is anticipated that
this policy change will cause a more rapid police response to those alarms that demand police
attention, while removing thousands of false alarms from the response queues.
The department will continue to respond to alarms when:
(a)The alarm is a panic, duress, and robbery alarm which is activated, and we are notified
by the monitoring company. These types of responses will be Priority 1 responses.
(b)The alarm is categorized as meeting the criteria for verified alarms. Verification can
be by sound, video, webcam, or eye witness. These types of alarm responses will be
Priority 1 calls for service.
415.1.2 PROCEDURES
DEFINITION - Verified Alarm : Means on-site verification by a responder, which can mean private
security, a citizen who observes an intrusion or any other person, to determine whether or not a
police response to a property/intrusion/burglar alarm due to a crime, attempted crime, or other
emergency occurring at the premises protected by an alarm is warranted. Verification of a crime
or emergency may be done through the use of an audio and video combination system monitored
by the alarm system monitoring company. Witness reports of glass breakage, suspicious persons
in the area of the alarm, or suspects observed entering the business/residence, etc. should be
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Alarm Response
considered verification of the alarm. There may also be other events or circumstances that indicate
the alarm may be valid, which include, but are not limited to, recent criminal activity in the area
and/or no history of false alarms.
Examples include:
•Audio feedback alarms where the monitoring company has heard evidence of criminal
activity.
•If a responsible party is at the scene and requests a walk through by Police Officers,
then two (2) officers will be dispatched depending on current activity levels and if we
are responding to Priority 3 calls at the time of the request.
•Video feedback alarm location showing evidence of possible criminal activity.
•Verification by a guard service that has responded to the location.
PROCEDURES:
(a)The Communications Center receives a call of a burglary or intrusion alarm.
(b)The Communications Center obtains as much information as possible from the alarm
monitoring company.
(c)The Communications Center will determine if the alarm type is a verified, panic,
robbery, or an exempt location. All alarm calls shall be entered into the CAD system
by the Communications Center.
1.If the information received fits the verification criteria, the call will be classified
as a Priority 1 call and two (2) officers will be dispatched to respond.
2.If the information received does not fit the verification criteria, the call will be
classified as a Priority 3 call and dispatched as a "Be on Lookout" (BOL).
The purpose of the BOL of unverified alarms is to make officers aware of the
activation of an alarm in their assigned zone. Officers may, at their discretion,
respond to the alarm.
3.Officers should pay particular attention to unverified alarms where the BOL
indicates that a responsible party from the business will be responding to the
location. Further, officers should consider their knowledge of the history of false
alarms at the location, the current patterns of burglaries in the area, and other
information they are aware of when determining response to check the location
and area when the BOL is broadcast.
4.If there is no response, from a police unit, after approximately 15 to 30 minutes,
the Dispatcher enters a "No Officer Response" disposition to the call and ends
the call.
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5.If an officer responding on an alarm deems the alarm to be false, the officer
closes the call as a false alarm with an "ADJ" disposition via the in car computer
or verbally.
6.If the call is a verified crime, then Dispatch will enter the call under the type of
crime, i.e.,