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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Plan to Verify Burglar Alarms Gets a Thumbs Down

Plan to Verify Burglar Alarms Gets a Thumbs Down BY CARLOS MARTINEZ Staff Reporter Merchants along Ventura Boulevard say a plan to limit police response to only those burglar alarms that can be verified is likely to reduce the chances that burglars will be apprehended and could increase crime in the area. The merchants, many of whom have experienced false alarms as well as genuine ones, believe that without a consistent response to all alarms, their businesses will be in jeopardy. The plan, proposed by the city’s new Police Chief William Bratton and approved by the Los Angeles City Council at the end of January, is tentatively scheduled to take effect in April. Under the new program, alarm companies or store owners would be required to verify that an alarm is genuine before a patrol car is dispatched. Bratton and the Los Angeles Police Commission said that more than 90 percent of alarm calls are false alarms, resulting in wasted police manpower and time. Bratton said his proposal would increase police response time to 10 minutes from an average of 45 minutes currently by freeing up patrol cars that now are busy responding to false alarms. The news of the plan’s victory in the city council was a setback to neighborhood councils, alarm companies and local merchants who say they are opposed to the plan. Renee Booher, manager of Party America, a party goods supply company in Encino, said merchants expect police to respond to any alarm. For one thing, they say that they are already paying a $200 fine to the city for false alarms, and the fines should cover the additional manpower needed. “We already get fined if police respond to a false alarm, so they’re getting paid for it, so why should they stop responding?” she asked. Booher’s company had three false alarms last year, costing her company $200 for each instance. Jerry Lenander, executive director of the Greater Los Angeles Security Alarm Assn., said Bratton’s plan is “plain wrong. “It’s just bad policy that doesn’t improve safety,” he said. Alarms for businesses can run anywhere between $500 and $2,000, with monitoring costs running between $20 and $50 per month, depending on the system and company, according to a spokesman for Valley Alarm in Van Nuys. Sometimes alarms are triggered by kids loitering in the area or by vagrants. Certain types of alarm systems can reduce the risk of false alarms, but in some areas where there is a lot of traffic and activity, it is difficult to prevent them, Lenander said. Michael Ricciardi, assistant manager at Hooper Camera in Encino, complained that police should honor their pledge “to protect and to serve. “Even if it’s for a false alarm, they should come, or it’s going to give criminals an advantage they’ll know no one is going to respond if it looks like a false alarm,” he said. Ricciardi said police and alarm companies should work together to develop better alarm systems that can ascertain whether a break-in has taken place. Such an alarm would not be triggered until an intruder actually entered the premises. “You need to have a multi-layer system where a second alarm sounds that says there really is an intruder Until then, I think businesses need protection and they need police,” he said. Bob Gold, owner of ABC Carpets in Encino, said he has had more break-ins than false alarms in recent years. “When that things goes off I get a call from the alarm company, and the cops show up right away, and I know somebody broke in,” he said. ABC has had six break-ins over the course of about 10 years. His alarm company calls him and dispatches a crew to the site. In those instances, Gold says police have shown up very promptly. “The last time, about a year ago, the cops came in and they were really nice and wanted to help. They almost caught them too, but (the police told me) they took off just before they got there.” Bill Darby, owner of Celebrity Travel, said he’s had three false alarms last year and one break-in, with police arresting the burglar. “It’s a big deterrence to have police responding and who knows if anyone would have been arrested without a quick response,” he said. Darby too believed police response has been fairly prompt. A few store owners said they support Bratton’s new proposal. Lynn Cavanaugh, of C & C; Gifts of Studio City, said police have the right not to respond if an emergency has not been established. “They have limited resources and they have to prioritize,” said Cavanaugh, whose 3-year-old card shop has never had a break in. But most others, including Max Himmelstein, owner of Valley Baseball Card Shop in Encino, said the proposal sends the wrong message to the community. “It gives a negative impression of the police when they’re supposed to protect us,” said Himmelstein, who has run his shop for 22 years with just one false alarm last year.

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