University Place Waits on Fixes for False-Alarm Calls

By Brent Champaco, The News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash.

Jun. 19–University Place wants to tighten some rules regarding home and business alarm systems.

But officials say they’ll wait to overhaul what’s already on the books, a controversial set of regulations Pierce County adopted last year.

Since 1999, University Place has modeled its alarm rules on the county’s. The young city contracts with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department for police protection.

The sheriff’s office estimates more than 95 percent of its alarm calls are false.

That’s why the county has a new ordinance starting this year that, among other things, requires alarm companies to pay a $250 fee for the second false alarm in six months and register with the county. There used to be no penalty fee.

The sheriff’s office failed to get the County Council to take the changes a step further: To require a neighbor, homeowner or private security company to verify that something’s amiss before deputies are dispatched. Critics said it would invite crime and endanger average residents.

University Place City Manager Bob Jean said officials could dramatically change their alarm rules in a year or two.

“But we’re saying now, ‘Let’s just wait and see what happens in Pierce County,’” he said.

The Sheriff’s Department has seen some drop in false alarms since the new rules took effect this year, but the numbers aren’t close to where they need to be, said Lt. Ed Smith.

He said he wants false alarms to drop 70 percent or 80 percent. Almost every month this year has shown about a 10 percent drop compared with the same period in 2005.

“We’re seeing some success, but it’s very limited,” Smith said. “We’re not pleased yet.”

The problem isn’t as bad in University Place. False alarms accounted for almost half of its 857 calls to police between June 2005 and last month, according to the county Law Enforcement Support Agency.

That’s one of the reasons officials want to wait to see what happens in Pierce County, Jean said.

As a short-term fix, city staff proposes an alarm ordinance that maintains the status quo, except for a few changes. They include:

— Increasing the one-time fee to obtain a city alarm permit from $15 to $20. People whose permits have been revoked for false alarms and want another permit must pay the fee again.

— Alarm companies must provide the city a list of customers.

Under the proposal, owners would still pay $50 for the second false alarm that police respond to in six months; $75 for the third; $100 for fourth or more.

The University Place City Council is scheduled to discuss the proposal next month.

Dave Simon, spokesman for Texas-based Brink’s Home Security, said the company supports efforts to curb false alarms.

Nationwide, some police agencies report false alarm rates above 90 percent. In many cases, the alarms are activated by pets, helium balloons and other innocent triggers that owners could help prevent, he said.

“It’s the people who cause the false alarms that we need to get educated,” Simon said.

Brent Champaco: 253-597-8653

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Copyright (c) 2006, The News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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