Seattle police will no longer send out patrol units to security alert calls unless there is “corroborating evidence.”
On September 13, Seattle Interim Police Chief Sue Lahr letter He said police departments regularly receive a large number of calls from alarm monitoring companies, but only a small fraction of them involve actual criminal activity — most are simply cases of sensors going off accidentally or equipment malfunctioning.
“There's a better way.”
As evidence, Lahr asserted that SPD received 13,000 alarm calls from businesses and residences in 2023 alone. Of those, “fewer than 4% were confirmed to be related to a crime that led to an arrest or the writing of a report,” Lahr wrote.
Staffing shortages have forced SPD officials to reassess their response procedures: Starting Oct. 1, SPD will only dispatch patrol units when “corroborating evidence” such as audio, video, witnesses and/or concurrent panic alarms indicate a crime is in progress.
“Due to our dwindling resources, we are unable to prioritize patrol responses when the likelihood of criminal activity occurring is very low,” Lahr said.
“Our number one priority is responding to ongoing violent incidents that pose a threat to the safety of our community.”
Lahr's letter clarified that the new policy does not change existing licensing and reporting requirements for alarm system monitoring companies, which are defined in city ordinances.
The new policy affects approximately 75,000 alert sites, Como Reported.
Representatives from some alarm companies expressed dismay over the policy change, arguing it puts children and businesses such as banks, pharmacies and gun stores that sell items coveted by robbers at particular risk. They also expressed frustration that they had so little time to prepare for the change.
“Tested response policies have been tried and rejected multiple times in cities such as Dallas, Texas, and San Jose, California. This runs counter to best practices established through the joint efforts of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Sheriffs' Association,” the statement said. Washington Alarm.
“Our industry supports police and we agree that police need to conserve resources. But there is a better way.”
Steve Autio of ADI Global Distribution agreed that the new policy would “make the city even less safe.”
He also wishes police had contacted the alarm company before sending the letter. “We can work with the police to come up with other ideas,” Autio said. My Northwest.
Employees from several of the businesses plan to attend city council meetings this week to voice their concerns.
source: Post-Millennial
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