SANTA PAULA : City to Discontinue Alarm Service

The Santa Paula Police Department will discontinue its city-operated burglary and fire alarm service by June 30, the City Council decided Tuesday.

Citing the department’s shrinking pool of customers, outdated alarm monitoring system and potential lawsuits, Police Chief Walter H. Adair asked the council to prohibit police response to private alarms.

“We need to be getting out of the business,” Adair said. “There are private alarm companies that can do it better and cheaper.”

During the past 10 years, the original 68 customers of the city’s alarm service have dwindled to 26 businesses and individuals, Adair said. Most have switched to private alarm companies, which in turn summon the police or fire departments.

The Santa Paula Police Department is the only law enforcement agency in Ventura County to provide an alarm service, Adair said. The city’s insurance carrier suggested discontinuing such service to avoid potential lawsuits, the chief said.

The department’s 10-year-old alarm system also cannot distinguish between a false alarm and an actual emergency, forcing police to respond to each alarm, Adair said. Last year, police responded to 854 alarms, of which 60% to 75% were false, he said.

Merchants and individuals whose alarms are monitored by police have four months to find a private company to do the job, Adair said.

Lucy Ramirez, whose store burglary alarm is monitored by police, fears that emergency response time will increase if she has to rely on a private alarm system.

“There’s more of a delay to get someone out here,” said Ramirez, recalling how police quickly caught a woman who robbed her liquor store 15 years ago. “They were right on the ball.”