Lakewood Police Department
Policy and Procedure
Alarms 		Effective Date: 10/15/2010
Policy Number: PP-9020
 
  1. Policy

    The Lakewood Police Department will dispatch and respond to all robbery, panic, and fire alarms.  Such alarms will receive a high priority response each time they are activated. 

    Due to the overwhelming number of false mechanically activated intrusion alarms, the Lakewood Police Department will not routinely respond to mechanical alarms unless additional information is received to verify the validity of such an alarm. 

    Nothing in this policy prevents any department member from utilizing discretion and choosing to respond to a mechanically activated intrusion alarm when appropriate.  Personal knowledge of crime patterns in the area, time of day, or other information at the disposal of the employee, may justify the need for a response.  The decision to respond to such an alarm can be made by an employee of any rank.  Under certain circumstances, supervisors and command officers may require a police response if a need is identified (i.e., a pattern of burglaries). 
  2. Procedure
    1. Robbery, fire, panic, and other alarms brought to the attention of Communications Center personnel are forwarded to the appropriate patrol or fire department personnel. 
    2. Patrol agents dispatched to alarms investigate the circumstances surrounding the alarm and take enforcement action where warranted. 
    3. The department will not routinely respond to mechanically activated intrusion alarms without verification of the validity of the alarm, by the alarm company or other sources, or additional information that that would lead a reasonable person to believe that the alarm warranted a response from patrol agents.  The department may accept verification by one or more of the following means:
      1. Multiple alarm trips, or alarm trips of varying origins, indicating entry into the premises (ex: a perimeter alarm followed by activation of a motion detector);
      2. Verification by the alarm company of a crime or suspicious circumstances;
      3. Cameras or audio devices, monitored by an alarm company, that indicate a crime may have occurred;
      4. Witness reports of glass breakage, suspicious activity, or other information that corroborates the alarm; or
      5. Any other events or circumstances that indicate the alarm may be valid. 
    4. All mechanically activated intrusion alarms received by the Communications Center will be aired for informational purposes to the appropriate sector patrol units.  No units will be assigned to respond to the location unless the alarm is verified or there are other factors that indicate that a police response is necessary.  In addition to the alarm guidelines already outlined in the Communications Center Standard Operating Procedures Manual, personnel should also inquire of the alarm company:
      1. Has a crime been verified by alarm company personnel or a third party?
      2. Is a representative of the alarm company enroute to verify the alarm? 
      3. Has the alarm been tripped in multiple zones, or have differing types of alarms been received at the location? 
    5. The department will continue to respond to intrusion alarms at the following facilities:
      1. Banks, Credit Unions, and other banking facilities.  Public or private school property.
      2. Facilities likely to contain drugs, such as pharmacies, medical warehouses, medical and veterinary offices, etc.
      3. Weapons facilities such as gun shops, armories, etc. 
      4. City owned property.  Since the police department monitors alarms installed in city owned property, agents will initially be dispatched to all intrusion alarms at city hall and satellite facilities as a means of confirming criminal activity.   

         PP-9030 - Telephone Reporting