As of June 1, Sunshine Coast RCMP will no longer attend unverified alarms, in order to focus resources on priorities
RCMP will still respond to all panic, hold-up, two-way voice alarms, school alarms and all verified alarms.
The aim of the new response protocol by the Coast detachment is to curb the amount of time police spend attending false alarms.
According to police statistics, Sunshine Coast RCMP attended 3,610 false alarms from 2009 to 2013, representing seven per cent of the total call volume. Of the total alarms attended, 95 per cent were false or cancelled.
“We will no longer respond to unverified commercial or residential alarms,” said Staff Sgt. Herb Berdahl. “Alarms are deemed to be verified when a monitoring service reports multi-zone, glass break and/or confirmation through two-way voice or video monitoring. Verification can also be obtained from a property representative, who may be a neighbour, friend or other person identified by the homeowner to attend alarms in their absence.”
The time consumed to attend an alarm call on the Sunshine Coast is believed to be considerable due to the operational area covered and logistical challenges members face.
The RCMP will continue to respond to alarms in homes occupied by the elderly, physically challenged or those with special needs, and in high-risk domestic situations.
“This new protocol will help us focus our resources on crime reduction initiatives, road safety and other priorities aimed at reducing crime and keeping the public safe,” he said.
