v3

EOF MGRTH AND WES’

WA

Office, Editorial 985-2131

WV Police concerned about
growing number of alarm calls

THE WEST Vancouver Police are spending more time
than ever dealing with false alarm response calls to

businesses and homes throughout the municipality.

The trend worries the man in
charge of keeping on top of the
situation.

Said West Vancouver Police
alarm coordinator Cpl. Dick
Clancy, “This thing is eating up
police department manpower. [’'m
very concerned. It’s placing a
burden on the department and
ultimately on the taxpayer.”

@ Last year in West Vancouver,
the police attended 3,396 false
alarm calls. That’s 93.3 a day and
a 7% increase over 1990, when
police attended 3,170 false alarm
calls.

@iIn 1990, the West Vancouver
Police attended 14% more false
alarm calls than they did in the
previous year.

@ In 1991, only 11 alarm calls
involved authenticated offences.
The police responded to 309 false
alarm calls for every alarm call
involving an actual offence.

Clancy estimates that it costs
approximately $160 for every false
alarm call attended.

The money covers the cost of
the complaint taker’s time,
paperwork, dispatcher’s time, a
responding patrol! member and a
back-up unit with a police dog,
report writing, data entry and re-
cord keeping.

“It’s a big portion of our
budget that's being eaten up. And
iv’s taking away from our man-
power to respond to legitimate
complaints,” Clancy said.

To ease the problem, the police
recommend that homeowners or
business operators with alarm
systems:

e lock doors and windows;

*keep windows closed in the
presence of interior alarm sensors;
*ensure that all people using the
premises are familiar with the use
of the system;

*ensure, if a home is being
remodelled or has been listed for
sale, that whoever enters the home

5 Classified Ads.......
@ Cocktails & Caviar
& Comics

& High Profiles

@ High Tech

By Michael Becker
News Reporter

knows how to use the alarm
system;

* ensure that pets are restricted or
that the system is designed to
allow for pets moving through. ut
the home;

© service alarm systems regularly.

In 1989, the West Vancouver
Police stopped responding to calls
from alarm companies not holding
valid West Vancouver business
licences.

To secure a business licence in
West Vancouver, an alarm com-
pany must provide proof that it
holds a provincial security licence.

As of December 1991 there were
53 alarm companies licensed to
Operate in West Vancouver; in
1988 there were 20.

“The problem is that the alarm
industry is a big growth industry.
They do a lot of good work, but
the call level is becoming so heavy
and expensive, somewhere it has
got to end,’ Clancy said.

In some areas of the United
States, police departments do not
respond to. security alarms.
Private security agencies respond.

Lower Mainland police depart-
ments experienced on average a
13% annual increase in false
alarm calls over the past five
years.

Police departments are explor-
ing their options to recover costs.

In Vancouver a permit system
for business and home security
alarms is being implemented.
Other police departments are
looking at charging for services
rendered as the result of a false
alarm.

Residents who want to deter-
mine if a security alarm) company
is licensed to operate in’ West
Vancouver can phone the
municipal hall at 922-1211.

# Horoscopes

i Lifestyles... 0.2.2.0... 37
 Travei

@ Vintage Years

% What's Going On

Weather

Monday, cloudy, Tuesday. mostly sunny. Highs 16°C. Lows 7°C.

> Printed on 10% recycled newsprint
Second Class Registration Number 3885

Tar ond

Display Advertising 980-0511 Classifieds 986-6222 Distribution 986-1337

Show her you care

MOTHER'S DAY is a time to tell her how you feel, and Casey does just that
while her sister, Chelsea, is ready with the flowers.