05-25-1983 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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May 11, 1983 Mr. Joe Chlebeck Clerk - Administrator City of Little Canada CHARLES L. ZACHARIAS COUNTY of RAMSEY Thomas J. Falvey, Chief Deputy 14 W. KELLOGG BLVD. • ST. PAUL, MINN. 55102 ? The popular intrusion or burglar alarm is certainly one of the most effective crime prevention methods currently available, however, it does present some problems to law enforcement. In 1982, the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department responded to more than 1,850 alarm calls. More than 95 per cent of these were false alarms. When an alarm call comes in a patrol car is dispatched along with a back -up car most of the time. The reason for,the back -up squad is that it is not safe for the officer, or effective for one squad to answer an alarm call. In the case of banks or hold -up alarms, more cars are sent. Thus in the course of a year, as many as 3,700 cars traveling at varying speeds, slipping through traffic signs as best they can, arrive at scenes to find out they are usually not needed. The wasted hours amounting to thousands yearly, are a serious drain on the department resources. Additionally, there is a safety factor. This is the serious danger of responding squad cars being involved in motor vehicle accidents. A serious accident could place the department in a precarious civil position when the preponderance of false alarms was revealed. The problem we are confronted with is how to eliminate the bulk of these false alarms, without discouraging the proper use of them. It appears that a small percentage of alarms cause a large percentage of false alarms. As this problem has been growing annually for the past few years, we have ._ been reviewing several alarm ordinances with the following objectives: ADMINISTRATIVE • COURTS DIVISION 2984451 page -37- ADULT DETENTION DIVISION 2926050 PATROL DIVISION 484-3366