Full Notification

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:
February 24, 2014

Southern Pines Police Department
Announces:
False Alarm Reduction Program

In order to reduce the number of responses to false alarms, the Southern Pines Police Department has initiated a False Alarm Reduction Program. In addition, the Southern Pines Police Department will be enforcing the town ordinance, which by deign was implemented to help reduce the number of false alarm activations. This town ordinance reads as follows:

§ 102.06 ALARM RESPONSES

(A) If, within a calendar year, the Town Police Department or the Town Fire Department responds to 6 alarms at the same premises or location where no evidence indicates that a fire occurred, smoke was present, or an unauthorized entry, robbery, or other crime was committed or attempted, the Chief of Police (in circumstances involving burglary and robbery alarms) or the Fire Chief (in circumstances involving fire or smoke alarms) shall send a letter to the alarm user informing him or her of the alarm activations and responses encouraging the review or repair of the alarm system and notifying the alarm owner that, upon the next alarm, they will be charged a response reimbursement fee.

(B) Within the calendar year, if the Town Police Department responds to a seventh or subsequent alarm at the same premises or location where no evidence indicates that an unauthorized entry, robbery, or other crime was committed or attempted, the alarm user shall reimburse the Town for the cost of responding, at a flat rate of $50 for each response over 6.

(C) Within the calendar year, if the Town Fire Department responds to a seventh or subsequent alarm at the same premises or location where no evidence indicates that a fire occurred or smoke is present, the alarm user shall reimburse the Town for the cost of responding, at a flat rate of $125 for each response over 6.

(D) The alarm user or his or her representative shall reset an alarm system when notified by the Town Police Department that the alarm has activated. When an alarm sounds continuously for a period of 60 minutes from the time officers or firefighters respond to the alarm, due to the failure of the alarm user or his or her representative to reset the alarm, every subsequent 60 minute period or portion thereof that the alarm continues to sound shall be deemed a separate alarm. The alarm user shall reimburse the Town at a flat rate of $50 for any 24 hour period.

(E) It is the intent of this chapter that the date of the first response to an alarm user shall become the anniversary date for any 12 month period calculated herein, and upon each anniversary date that alarm user's number of responses shall be reduced to 0.

The purpose of the Town of Southern Pines ordinance addressing false alarms is to encourage burglar alarm users and alarm companies to properly use, install and maintain the operational effectiveness of burglar alarm systems in order to improve the reliability of alarm systems and reduce, or eliminate false alarms. A false alarm is a request to dispatch police to an alarm site when there is no evidence of a criminal offense or attempted criminal offense. During the calendar year of 2013, the Southern Pines Police Department responded to one thousand eight hundred eighty eight (1888) alarm activations. Of these calls for service, only three (.1%) were found to involve a crime with two being an actual breaking or entering and one incident recorded as a vandalism where no entry was gained.

False alarms divert police from proactive crime prevention efforts. They also delay response to calls for service that may be true emergencies. Notification letters have been sent to the locations where six or more false alarms have already been recorded in the 2014 calendar year.

The Community Services Unit from the Southern Pines Police Department remains available to provide aid and information to any alarm user who may need assistance in developing a plan of action to eliminate or reduce the frequency of false alarms that may be occurring. The Community Services Unit can be reached at 910-692-2732 extension 2852. Additionally, the Southern Pines Police Department provides on-site security assessments and surveys that can provide information on how to protect your property and enhance the capabilities of any theft prevention alarm system.

The Southern Pines Police Department would like to take this opportunity to thank the community in advance for their cooperation in reducing the number of false alarms which are occurring. Any reduction in false alarm calls for service allows officers the opportunity to engage in greater community collaboration focusing on community policing activities, prevention, detection, investigation and the deterrence of criminal activity.

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Contact: Captain Charles Campbell
910-692-2732