Officials, including police officers in Cheyenne, Wyoming are working on a set of proposals they hope will lead to a reduction in the number of false alarms, many of which are the result of . The proposed changes are part of a broader effort to increase the overall efficiency of the local police department.
“Our calls for service are increasing, so we have to look at ways to be more efficient and have our officers available for where they really need to be,” Cheyenne Police Chief Brian Kozak told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.
A proposed amendment to change the city code was presented to the Cheyenne City Council, and the amendment was then recommended to the city’s finance committee. The goal of the amendment, which is in regard to the section of the city’s codes, is to ultimately save time and money funded by the city’s taxpayers, according to Kozak.
It is reported that last year, the Cheyenne police department responded to 1,863 alarm calls, and a staggering 1,442 of those calls were the result of false alarms, which resulted in almost 400 hours of lost service for police officials and a price tag of $20,000 for taxpayers.Although home alarms are the primary culprits for many false alarms, they are certainly not the only source—false alarms occur in businesses, schools, churches and government buildings.
The city reports that last year alone, 77 of the local businesses experienced four or more false alarms, and in many circumstances, officers were responsible for responding to multiple alarms for the same location in one day.
“Sometimes if you’ve got a sensor problem, or a door or a window that’s not secure to the , you can make multiple trips at the same location,” Sgt. Adam Deball told the Wyoming Tribute Eagle.
One of the proposed changes to the city code affects the way in which call verifications are handled. Currently in Cheyenne, when responding to an alarm, the police are called first and thenthe customer is called after authorities are alerted. The proposed changes call for the customer to be called to verify the , prior to calling authorities to the scene.
Another proposed change being offered would introduce graduated fees for false alarms that occur repeatedly at the same location. The fees would rise incrementally on repeat false alarms, and under the sixth, the permit holder for the alarm in question could have their permit revoked, which would result in a non-response on the part of emergency officials unless there is a verified crime.
“I really don’t see us charging a lot of fees or suspending or revoking a license because I think there’s going to be a lot of communication before that happens,” Kozak said. “The whole thing is to motivate people to get their alarms fixed or do training.”
Tim Eveler
Author & Public Relations – Tim has been working in sales for the home security system industry over twelve years. He’s held positions at large home security companies and in charge of working with the team to create our security system reviews.