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8. SHERIFF GARY WHEELER - PROPOSED ALARM ORDINANCE - REDUCTION OF FALSE ALARMS The Board reviewed letters of January 13 and January 21, 1999: �bprfff 4055 41st AVENUE January 13, 1999 GARY C. WHEELER • INDIAN RIVER COUNTY MEMBER FLORIDA SHERIFFS ASSOCIATION MEMBER OF NATIONAL SHERIFFS ASSOCIATION VERO BEACH. FLORIDA 32860-1808 J AN i 5 1999 C p v1taIISozoN The Honorable Kenneth R. Macht, Chairman Indian River County Board of County Commissioners 1840 25th Street Vero Beach, FL 32960-3394 RE: PROPOSED ALARM ORDINANCE: REDUC'T'ION OF FALSE ALARMS Dear Mr. Macht: PHONE (561) 569-6700 Accompanying the growth our county has faced over the last few years, a multitude of challenges presents itself in providing responsive law enforcement and quality service, both of which our citizens have come to expect, and rightfully so. As Sheriff of Indian River County, the safety of our citizens and the quality of life within our community is of vital importance to me. I know the Board shares this concern so I would like to share the following information with you. One of the biggest challenges that law enforcement must face is the security of its residences and businesses. Most people fear crime and the potential for crime and many of them have installed alarm systems in hopes that it will prevent them and their families from becoming victims. With the advancement of technology, reduced pricing and increased competition, more and more alarms are installed everyday. Naturally, with more systems there will be an increase in false alarms. At the national level, approximately 97% of all alarms tum out to be false. Each false alarm consumes valuable time from the officer on the street, increases risks of accidents, reduces police service to areas with a greater need for law enforcement presence and through sheer volume instills complacency in the responding officers. This is not a local problem, rather an industry wide concern. In 1990, the Sheriffs Office responded to over 5,200 alarms or approximately 12% of the total calls for service. In 1996, the number of alarm calls increased 57% to over 8,240 calls or 18% of the total calls for service. This increase in alarm calls has impacted the man-hours consumed at a proportional rate. At an average of 25 minutes consumed per call, vital resources are taken from other calls, increasing response times and availability of officers to respond to emergencies. Since the nature of alarm calls requires immediate response, officers respond to all alarm calls in an increased state of readiness; the nature of some alarm calls requires the dispatch of 2 or more officers. This rapidly depletes the availability of existing resources for other emergencies or for proactive patrols and quality of life policing issues. The proportion of alarm calls to the entire call load is so great that an average of 15 minutes out of every hour 24 hours a day is consumed responding to some type of alarm. In addition to being a safety issue and resource allocation problem, false alarms are expensive to the community. When one considers that the vast majority (97%) are false, it is wise to look for responsible solutions to the rising problem. FEBRUARY 2, 1999 -21- 0 to 108 pw 245