The Leicestershire Force Alarm Policy

ADVICE TO ALARM SUBSCRIBERS.

This page contains details of the Police Policy and general advice in relation to the management of your intruder alarm system.

Your co-operation is sought on the following important matters.

Failure to comply with any of the following conditions may result in the Police withdrawing response to your alarm.

More than 90% of all alarm activations are false, this is a waste of valuable Police time and resources. It will cause annoyance and expense to you, cause annoyance to others and reduce the security value of your system.

You may find it useful to print off and keep this document next to your alarm panel.

PLEASE REMEMBER LIVES MAY BE PUT AT RISK WHEN RESPONDING TO FALSE ALARM CALLS

DATA PROTECTION ACT 1998
Personal data supplied may be held on and / or verified by reference to information already held on computer.

1. KEYHOLDERS
It is your responsibility to give written notice to your alarm company within 48 hours of who keyholders are when a new system is installed, when you take over an existing system or if any change in keyholder details occur.

The written notice shall give the name and address of at least two keyholders who must:

a) have a telephone at their home address;

b) have adequate means of transport to attend at all hours as the Police will not provide transport or call out;

(c) be capable of attending the alarmed premises within 20 minutes of being notified.

Please note that Police personnel may have to be withdrawn from the alarmed premises before the arrival of a keyholder in the event of other commitments. However, a keyholder may contact the Police and ask them to attend if the keyholder considers it necessary before entering the premises.

Keyholders should be aware of the Police Unique Reference Number (URN) which relates to that alarm system and be able to quote it on request to the Police. When the keyholder receives a request to attend the premises he I she can then confirm that the call is genuine by asking for the URN.

Drive carefully - it is not an emergency.
If you have been drinking alcohol - DO NOT DRIVE YOURSELF - inform another keyholder or call a taxi and tell the Police of any delay.

Refusal of a keyholder to attend premises when requested without good cause, may lead to the withdrawal of future Police response.

FALSE ALARMS - POLICE POLICY

WHAT IS A FALSE ALARM?

It is an alarm which is passed to the Police and has NOT resulted from:

a) a criminal attack upon, damage, or attempts at such, on the alarmed premises, the alarm equipment or the line carrying the alarm signal to your central monitoring station;
b) actions by emergency services in the execution of their duty;
c) a call emanating from a personal attack system made with good intent.

All other activations emanating from the system without apparent damage or entry to the premises will be considered as false unless proved otherwise.

If it is found that the premises have in fact been attacked after the Police have left the scene, then it is essential that you contact them with this information.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF I HAVE A FALSE ALARM?
After two false alarm calls in a rolling period of 12 months, a warning letter will be sent which will require you to take action to prevent such calls. This action will usually involve liaison with your alarm company and possibly further instruction on the system's operation for staff and I or keyholders.

WHEN WILL THE POLICE NOT RESPOND TO MY ALARM?
If you do not solve the problem and you exceed a total of four false alarms in the same rolling 12 month period, Police response will be suspended for a period of up to six months. Response will not be reinstated unless your security system is upgraded so that it can produce confirmed activations. You will need to speak to your alarm company who will explain the options to you.

Once a confirmed system has been installed you may apply to the Police for response to your alarm to be reinstated.

Alternatively, if your system is already confirmed you will need to evidence a period of not less than 90 days free from false calls and provide an explanation for the previous false alarms. Again your alarm company should be able to advise you on this.

You or your alarm company must apply to the Police in writing, reinstatement is not automatic.

Please note that you will be informed in writing of the Police intention to remove response, which will give you time to make any alternative security arrangements and liase with both your alarm and insurance companies.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER REASONS FOR POLICE RESPONSE BEING WITHDRAWN?

Yes, these are as follows:

(a) a system without engineer reset unless it has been formally agreed in writing with the Police subject to the criteria;

(b) changing the alarm company to one which is not on the Police list of recognised alarm installers;

(c) a system without a maintenance agreement with a recognised alarm installer;

(d) keyholders failing to respond;

(e) failure to comply with the Police requirements in the policy.

ULTIMATE ACTION FOLLOWING WITHDRAWAL OF POLICE RESPONSE
If response has not been reinstated within six months you will be notified of the following in writing:

(a) the Unique Reference Number shall be withdrawn from use;

(b) the alarm company shall be informed not to pass any further activations emanating from the withdrawn system to the Police.

Where a Unique Reference Number has been withdrawn, an application for Police response shall not be considered unless:

(a) a totally new system incorporating confirmation technology has been installed which will effectively remedy the faults inherent within the previous system; or

(b) if already a confirmed system a period of not less than six months has elapsed after which it can be demonstrated that the previous false alarm problem has been resolved.

Any application for the issue of a new Unique Reference Number must be made via your alarm company and will be subject to the standard administration charge for a new URN.

NOTE: If your Unique Reference Number is being withdrawn and this action does not relate to the personal attack part of your system, you may re-apply via the alarm company for a URN for the personal attack facility only.

3. ALARM RESET
Control equipment must only be reset by an alarm engineer from the alarm maintenance company, other than in exceptional circumstances where written permission is obtained from the Chief Constable.

4. PERSONAL ATTACK ALARMS
These should only be used in an emergency or when directly threatened with attack and you are unable to get to a telephone.

AS SOON AS SAFETY PERMITS, TELEPHONE THE POLICE BY DIALLING 999.

5. DELAYS ON WARNING DEVICES
Where audible I visible warning devices are fitted in addition to a central station monitoring mechanism, there shall be a delay of not less than 10 minutes before the operation of any such device.

The following are, however, exceptions to the requirement:

(a) private residences;

(b) personal attack devices;

(c) where premises are located in an area where Police response is not likely to be provided within 10 minutes of the activation, subject to the discretion of the Chief Constable.

Requests for exemption outside the above may be considered by the Chief Constable after considering individual circumstances.

6. MONITORED SETTING AND UNSETTING OF YOUR ALARM BY YOUR ALARM COMPANY
Your alarm company has the ability to filter out false calls during certain times of the day by prior arrangement with yourselves. This will allow you to stop any Police response by an agreed security procedure with them, this is particularly useful when opening and closing your premises.

7. GENERAL ADVICE
Ensure your alarm is serviced regularly by a company on the Police recognised list of installers.

Your attention is drawn to the Codes of Practice on Noise from Intruder Alarms (1982) in respect of noise, nuisance and keyholder response. Copies of this are available from HM Stationers and Government book shops. It is desirable under these codes for a 20 minute limit on the operation of audible warning devices on your alarm (i.e. bells or sirens).

Inform the Police immediately of any mistake that has set the alarm off. You will need to know your 'URN' in order to limit the number of officers attending your alarm.

8 FINAL DISCRETION
The Chief Constable reserves the right, without giving reason, to refuse to authorise the issue of a URN for any installation, or respond to any intruder alarm installation.

9. FURTHER ADVICE
If you require any further advice please do not hesitate to contact:

Security Systems Officer
Leicestershire Constabulary
Police HQ
Communications Centre
St. Johns, Narborough
Leicester
LE9 5BX

REMEMBER:
If your problem relates to the performance of your alarm system then direct your enquiry to your alarm company. If you are then still not satisfied with their performance then for further advice contact either:

The National Security Inspectorate (if your alarm is maintained by a NACOSS / NSI company)
Tel: (0870) 205 0000;
or

The Security Systems and Alarm Inspection Board (if your alarm is maintained by an SSAIB company)
Tel: (0191) 2963242;

or

Your local Citizens Advice Bureau.

* NOTE *
These contents do not impose any liability on the Leicestershire Constabulary, or its officers, or the Police Authority, arising out of any acts or omissions connected with an alarm installation, including failing to respond to the system.