Chuck Warbington,PE
Executive Director
Article by: Chuck Warbington, PE
It is probably that at one time or another, 99% of us have uttered the
phrase, "Where's a cop when you need one?" Some startling statistics that
offers some explanation to that very question can be summed up under the
term: False Alarms.
As has been reported earlier this year, the Gwinnett Village overall crime
rate was down by 1/3 over the first half of the year. However, Gwinnett
Village, like the rest of the County, does register as problematic with
false alarms.
Annually, the Gwinnett County Police Department receives just under 39,000
security alert dispatches; security alerts are the leading cause for
dispatches and exceeds moving vehicle accidents that accounts for just under
24,000. What is most alarming about these statistics is that 99% of these
security alarm dispatches are actually false or non-valid. Of the 6111
alarm calls that occur at the Westside Precinct that covers Gwinnett Village
thus far in 2008, only 22 were valid.
Information from the Norcross Police Department indicates that false
security alarm calls are also a problem for the City's force. Of the 1458
annual security alarm calls, approximately 2% are valid as provided by
police chief Dallas Stidd.
According to Gwinnett County Police, a false alarm dispatch can require one
to three officers to report to the scene. These false alarm calls can take
up to two hours of an officer's time, thereby deterring them from regular
patrols where an actual crime could occur. Not only do these false alarms
increase the threat of crime within the community, they are also serious
economic implications that are too easily dismissed by uneducated consumers
and the general public.
Police officials confirm that it costs taxpayers $58.40 for every dispatch -
a number that does not truly reveal the severity of this problem until
multiplied by the 38,405 invalid false alarm dispatches. Calculations
indicate that over $2.2 million in taxpayer dollars are wasted each year on
false alarms. In a time of budget shortfalls, this is a significant problem
that businesses and residents alike should be attentive to.
The police have provided these few tips:
. Mare sure the type of alarm is the right type for your particular
business
. Use the correct motion sensor in the appropriate location.
Circulating air can move wall mounted items tripping the motion sensor.
. Make sure employees are trained properly and have established
protocols for when employees accidently activate an alarm.
. For repeated false alarms, contact your alarm monitoring company for
an analysis of your system.
This article has been posted to Suwanee Talk with the express consent of Chuck Warbington.
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