It looks like the changes council made last year to its false alarm bylaw are having the desired affect.
According to statistics included in the city’s first quarter report, presented to council on Monday, the number of false alarms has dropped by two-thirds compared to the first quarter of 2012.
There were 300 false alarm calls to the RCMP in the first quarter of 2012. By comparison, there were only 100 in the first three months of 2013.
The amended bylaw took effect Jan. 1.
“We were projecting, when we did the review, there would be about a 75 per cent decrease and we’re pretty close to that,” said Aaron Giesbrecht, manager of policing services. “We still need to monitor it over the second and third quarters, but for now it’s looking good.”
The amendments, championed by Coun. Cathy Heron and approved in 2012, contained two drastic changes. The first change required all security companies to verify all one-zone alarm calls, in which only one alarm sensor is triggered, before dispatching police.
Alarm permit holders used to be allowed one false alarm per year for which they were not penalized. That has since been replaced with one false alarm in perpetuity.
Also a fine will be levied if police are dispatched to the call, not if they arrive at the address.
Police will still respond to multi-zone, glass-break, panic, duress, hold up and domestic violence alarms, as well as business and school alarms during regular operating hours.
Heron said she was pleased with the downward trend the first quarter report showed.
“I don’t like wasting money. I also don’t like a third party coming into the city or any other municipality and imposing something that they will not pay for,” Heron said, referring to alarm companies.
Statistics generated for council 2012 showed the RCMP responded to roughly 1,200 false alarms each year. The total cost to the city of those false alarms was approximately $98,000 annually, compared to only $22,000 recovered in fines and permit fees.
It wasn’t just responding to the call that took up time, said Insp. Kevin Murray, RCMP detachment commander.
“When you look at it, it wasn’t just the time attending to the location but the time it took dispatch to take the information, relay it to a member, for a member to respond and then deal with the file that’s generated from it,” Murray said. “All that time added up spoke volumes.”
As a result, Murray said the RCMP will now spend more time performing other duties.
“We’re hoping this first quarter isn’t an anomaly, and as we track that moving forward, hopefully it will paint an even clearer picture of the reduction.” Murray said.
