View from the cop: Crime & punishment
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AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2009 > January > 26 > Entry
The alarm-ing part of police work
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Now that I’m back in the field - field being the streets, the asphalt jungle, the Golden Ghetto, the—the—whatever else you call it, I’ve reconnected with a few things such as working on the weekends, good ol’ Waffle House breakfasts and lots of reports on mobile field reporting software in the cars, video. and other stuff. It makes me wonder if it wasn’t simpler back “in the day when we used call boxes and smoke signals.
I love the new technology and the databases we compile that make things like recognizing the usual suspects more recognizable because of that photo you took of the burglar a few months ago is stored on your laptop.
That stuff is definitely cool and productive because burglars don’t stop burglarizing until you give them a good reason to stop, such as being way too recognizable in your jurisdiction. Burglars don’t really stop doing that thing they do but rather move on. We know they’ll “burglar” somewhere else so we’re kind enough to point them to DeKalb, Cobb, and Atlanta, whatever. (Don’t feel bad for those places; they’re doing the same thing.)
One thing that I reconnected with was answering alarm calls. False alarms account for all but about one-half of one percent of all alarm calls. That means only a teeny-tiny percent activate when an actual connection is broken and the activation is the result of a burglary. The other ninety-nine point five percent involve a false alarm set off by the weather such as thunder, lightening, heavy rain, tsunamis, or things that are out of the hands of the resident such as birds.
Birds, if you haven’t figured it out, aren’t exactly the Einstein’s of nature. They will fly right into your window and occasionally cause the activation of the alarm. Alarm companies often have sensitivity sensors that gauge the difference between, for instance, a hummingbird hitting your window opposed to zombies, Fabio, or small UFO’s.
The most common reason for the dreaded false alarm is an accidental activation caused by the Homo sapiens species or more specifically, the Homo sapien moronioius dufus variety. They tend to forget the alarm is on, which in itself is something you need to have in your memory bank, or worse, they forget, set it off, and then fail to give any thought as to the response. It is the last part of the previous sentence that needs to be shored up.
Here’s a number that should get your attention—especially if you live in Sandy Springs. We handle between 900 and 1,100 alarms a month with that one-half-of-one-percent being the result of a burglary. The average time out of service for the officer on each alarm call is thirty minutes. This means even on a good month, wasted manpower hours, you know, time away from patrol and flirting with pretty girls is higher than my detention record in high school.
When an alarm activates and the resident and / or the company determines that the alarm was false, they can and should contact the local police department and cancel the response. Sometimes the company is supposed to call, sometimes the resident is, sometimes both, sometimes one thinks the other is supposed to and sometimes nobody (see: Homo sapien moronioius dufus.)
What is it that gets your attention? Other than irritating hemorrhoids, its money! It is common for counties and cities to charge after so many false alarms per month. I expect that we’ll do it as well. I would love to get the false alarms down to a manageable level, say, fewer than nine (%$&^) hundred!!
The fact is this, if you have an alarm system that goes off all the time, it’s an officer-safety hazard of the cry-wolf variety. If you’re setting the alarm off by opening the door when it’s armed, smack yourself in the head a few time and try to remember that the signal means the officer is coming to help. At least call and give the proper codes and then cancel it. Don’t muddy the waters by becoming a chronic false-alarm call. If you get that reputation, the response time will increase more and more because the officer knows it’s a false-alarm problem. That’s dangerous for them and you because if it does activate because of a burglar, you want the cops out there really, really, quick.
Here’s the deal: If your alarm system is faulty then get the company to come out and fix it. If they can’t, get rid of them and hire someone else who can do the job. If it’s an old system, update it. It’s worth the cost. Make your false alarm a rare event. I’d like to go on but you’re cutting into my flirting time!
Comments
By The Truth about Cops
January 26, 2009 11:53 PM | Link to this
Hopefully no one will read this, or follow this advice. If fat cops are tied up with false alarms, that means that they don’t have as much time to serve their real purpose- soliciting money at gunpoint. Maybe change the name from “police officer” to “city fundraiser”.
When exactly did “protect and serve” become “entrap and demand money”?
Maybe we could skip all of the pleasantries and just have them walk up to your car with a cash drawer to make change.
I love it when a cop writes you an unneccasary ticket and then pretends like they don’t know how much it will cost-
It’s the bane of your career, dolling out tickets to solicit money, how could you NOT know the cost?
America, land of the free, home of the Communist police state…
By DJ
January 27, 2009 6:27 AM | Link to this
TO: “The Truth about Cops”, WOW are you really that messed up???? Do you really have no clue??? Are you really that STUPID???? Please tell me? One day you will need the police and I hope you remember the s** you say on here. The police are only good when you need them right?! A*****!
DJ
By Mike Helms
January 27, 2009 6:27 AM | Link to this
Boring not your best work. Well mabey “Homo sapien moronioius dufus” Saved it :)
Signed
Big fan
By Leary
January 27, 2009 7:04 AM | Link to this
Sounds like “Truth About Cops” has gotten a few tickets lately. Could it be your attitude that you are above the law and should not be punished for breaking it is the reason you get the tickets. Slow down, stop for signs and signals… in other words, do the right thing and do not gripe about people doing their job. Traffic is awful in and around Atlanta and you are part of the problem.
Thanks, Steve for an entertaining read.
By JimBob
January 27, 2009 9:09 AM | Link to this
I’m a cop here in the big city. Steve pretty much hit home with this but I would like to add something. Another reason for the false alarms that I see all the time is when the power goes out for whatever reason. (Mostly storms) Neglected systems with out of date and basicly bad BATTERIES. The backup battery is supposed to keep your system operational for several hours during a power outage. I find that when the power is restored to homes or businesses with faulty batteries, the alarm will sound causing police response. Please replace your batteries yearly. Just open that control box, unplug the old and install the new. It only takes a few minutes. Our city handles on the average, 2100 calls daily. Of that 2100 calls, 1/3 of those calls (700 calls) are alarm calls. Of the 700 alarm calls a day, 95% of the alarm calls are false alarms. Thats a lot of wasted time that can be better spent patrolling high crime areas and giving people like “Truth About Cops” their daily tickets. Seriously though, Atlanta has ordinances on alarms and maintaining an alarm system. Not only can you be fined by the police department for excess numbers of false alarms, you can also be criminally charged under city ordinance for not maintaining your alarm if it were to become a problem and not fixed.
By JimBob
January 27, 2009 9:13 AM | Link to this
minutes. Our city handles on the average, 2100 calls daily. Of that 2100 calls, 1/3 of those calls (700 calls) are alarm calls. Of the 700 alarm calls a day, 95% of the alarm calls are false alarms. Thats a lot of wasted time that can be better spent patrolling high crime areas and giving people like “Truth About Cops” their daily tickets. Seriously though, Atlanta has ordinances on alarms and maintaining an alarm system. Not only can you be fined by the police I’m a cop here in the big city. Steve pretty much hit home with this but I would like to add something. Another reason for the false alarms that I see all the time is when the power goes out for whatever reason. (Mostly storms) Neglected systems with out of date and basicly bad BATTERIES. The backup battery is supposed to keep your system operational for several hours during a power outage. I find that when the power is restored to homes or businesses with faulty batteries, the alarm will sound causing police response. Please replace your batteries yearly. Just open that control box, unplug the old and install the new. It only takes a few department for excess numbers of false alarms, you can also be criminally charged under city ordinance for not maintaining your alarm if it were to become a problem and not fixed.
By Uh Clem
January 27, 2009 1:01 PM | Link to this
Hey “Truth About Cops”, stop being mean to Steve or his little brother will come over and slug ya.
By MarkG
January 27, 2009 3:08 PM | Link to this
Fabio is still alive?
By We Love Steve
January 28, 2009 12:19 PM | Link to this
Steve is right….big waste of time. I am a Firefighter Paramedic and we a constantly running false alarms that get set off because of all of the above. To Moronic “Truth about cops”…guess what spanky…the cops don’t like writing tickets anymore that you like getting them. They are assured of giving up an off day to go to court just to hear you accuse them of harassment, being racist, being white, being black, being stupid or a myriad of other inane things you morons say. If you don’t want a ticket don’t do anything wrong…and I am with Mark….Is Fabio still with us…say it ain’t so.
By The Truth about cops
January 29, 2009 3:19 PM | Link to this
So what about when cops doll out false tickets? Do you yahoos encorse that? Cops don’t enjoy writing tickets- give me a huge break. Off day? Every day is an off day for these piggies, sitting in their cars getting fatter (and maybe shorter).
Hey DJ, you don’t have to sign your post at the end like a letter to mommy. What a dumazz.
Enough with the so called hero worship of cops. This is bordering on a Communist police state. The founding fathers are rolling over in their grave if they can see the entrapment and abuse of power by these unqualified dirtbag cops.
You want to become glamorized, city-sponsored cash solicitors? Fine- but know that the larger part of society has no respect for you.
Now go pound another whopper, JimBob.
By Ryan
January 30, 2009 1:32 AM | Link to this
So Truth About Cops…. if the large part of society has no respect for police, then why is your post the only negative one?
By Jimbo
January 30, 2009 12:42 PM | Link to this
The problem with your comments Truth About Cops is that you’re making a black and white argument that involves humans and humans are decidedly gray. I get where you’re coming from and I like to remind people that police are fallible humans who are prone to greed, corruption, and other flaws that are common to ALL humanity, but in general cops do serve and protect or at least try to. I have a lot more criticism for the chiefs, commissioners, and municipal governments and what they put cops through than the rank and file officers themselves.
By LauryT
January 30, 2009 1:32 PM | Link to this
Thank you Jimbo for saving me the time it would have taken to give that particular response!
As sister to 2 Law Enforcement officers (in Utah and Texas), and having many friends in L.E. throughout my life, I can assure you the last thing any of them want to do on a day “off” is spend it in court.
Sounds to me like “truth about cops” has gotten his bad attitude and consipiracy theories kicked up around his ears a few times. It also sounds like he probably deserved it. Seriously, you don’t want a ticket? Don’t break the law.
One really easy way to cut down on the false alarms due to power outages is having a wireless system installed (no I’m not selling them). They are far less prone to the false alarms than most I’ve seen. We’ve had ours a year now, and it’s only gone off once “accidentally”. That accident being ME fat fingering my remote and triggering a silent “panic alarm”. I’m glad to say that DeKalb County was waiting on me when I returned to the house, AND checked everything out with me to make sure it was all clear. My alarm company called me on my cell to confirm I was ok… that’s how I realized what had happened.
By Fred
February 3, 2009 9:59 PM | Link to this
This is funny. “The Truth about cops” comments in a negative fashion and JimBb responds with the fine upstanding defense.
“The Truth about cops” THEN replies to JimBob’s comments but calls him JIMBO, and suddenly Jimbo, responds like he is now JimBob. Am I the only one who caught this? Naw, “The Truth about cops” caught this, he planned it and was baiting you idiots all along. LOL I had forgotten that the comments were better than the blog most times.
But on a serious note: if a damn bird can cause a false alarm by nailing a window and setting of an alarm, then why is it so unreasonable that a BURGLAR can cause a “false Alarm’ by ratting a window or door and taking off before completing the planned burglary when the alarm goes off? Gee what a novel concept……………