LOS ANGELES : Braude Urges Limiting Burglar Alarm Responses
Los Angeles police would not respond to automated burglar alarms until the alarm company or the building occupants verified that the building had been broken into under a proposal Monday by Councilman Marvin Braude to crack down on false alarm calls that divert police from real crime.
About 95% of the 161,000 security alarms that Los Angeles police responded to last year were false--triggered by human error, faulty equipment or bad weather--according to police and city officials. The needless responses cost about $6 million to $8 million in wasted work hours, police have said.
The measure, approved Monday by the council’s Public Safety Committee, was criticized by an alarm industry representative, who said the verification requirement would substantially increase the cost of alarm systems, putting them out of reach for many.
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