Just like there’s more than one way to cook a chicken, there more than one way to improve an alarm ordinance. The goal is to reduce unnecessary and dispatch calls. A jurisdiction can get there in many ways.
SIAC does not prescribe solutions. We earn your dollars by listening and sharing what we’ve learned. That way, each jurisdiction can pick from the tools available to reduce those calls.
It might mean tweaking their already-implemented fine system to raise the penalty from $50 to $75 to get the attention of violators. It could mean only allowing one free false alarm instead of two. If the community has a cut off of police response after four unnecessary dispatch calls, they may want to drop that down to three.
Each of these steps has been successfully applied in cities across North America, reducing demand for police resources, while maintaining public protection. Sometimes cities take it one step at a time. Sometimes they combine three or four changes for a larger impact.
The point we’d like you to share with others is that improving your local alarm ordinance can be done in many ways. One step can make a difference. Certainly, implementing the model ordinance, with its proven alarm reduction results, is SIAC’s recommended approach. Regardless, any single step taken to improve alarm management practices is a step well taken. We’ll support you, and we’ll work with you to get the best results. Visit us at www.siacinc.org.