Montgomery
County Police
False Alarm R
The False Alarm R
False Alarms were r
There are several reasons local
governments across the country develop and implement false alarm r
The following chart depicts the
number of requests for dispatch where response actually occurr
False
Alarm R
|
Year |
Actual Responses |
No Response |
Percentage R (Actual #'s) |
Total Requests for Dispatch |
Percentage R (Raw #'s) |
|
1996 |
33195 |
7339 |
-8.1% |
40534 |
-1.0% |
|
1995 |
36112 |
4855 |
-15.7% |
40967 |
-6.7% |
|
1994 |
42821* |
1115* |
|
43936 |
|
*Does not include dispatch vs. non-dispatch for
January, February or March, 1994, as statistics for those months are not
available.
The "False Alarm R
Of the total 33,195 requests for
dispatch to which police officers actually respond
Total Number of Alarm Users
|
1995 |
1996 |
|
|
Residential |
29,387 |
34,048 |
|
Commercial |
7,049 |
8,102 |
|
TOTAL |
36,436 |
42,150 |
Revenue
The following two charts reflect
revenue collect
Calendar
Year 1996
|
CALENDAR YEAR 1996 |
ACTUAL REVENUES |
|
Registration
Fees Residential Commercial TOTAL |
$163,610 $ 38,430 $202,040 |
|
False Alarm Response Fees Residential County Attorney Collections Total Residential Commercial County Attorney Collections Total Commercial TOTAL |
$ 58,519.66 9,385 $ 67,904.66 $498,003.50 51,208 $549,211.50 $617,116.16 |
|
Alarm Business Fees License Civil Citations TOTAL |
$ 35,400 500 $ 35,900 |
|
GRAND TOTAL |
$855,056.16 |
Fiscal Year 1996
|
FY96 |
ESTIMATED |
ACTUAL |
|
Registration
Fees Residential Commercial TOTAL |
$240,000 |
$164,895 40,040 $204,935 |
|
False Alarm Response Fees Residential County Attorney Collections Total Residential Commercial County Attorney Collections Total Commercial TOTAL |
$815,000 |
$ 84,605 2,650 $ 87,255 $457,006 10,750 $467,756 $555,011 |
|
Alarm Business Fees License TOTAL |
$35,000 |
$36,400 $36,400 |
|
GRAND TOTAL |
$1,090,000 |
$796,346 |
In calendar year 1995, the FARU bill
Calendar
Year 1996 Bill
False Alarm Response Fees
|
False Alarm Response Fees |
Bill |
Collect |
Uncollect |
|
Commercial |
$627,650 |
$416,800 |
$210,850 |
|
Residential |
$60,200 |
$45,500 |
$14,700 |
|
TOTAL |
$687,850 |
$462,300 |
$225,550 |
|
Outstanding 1995 False Alarm Response Fees |
|
$154,816.16 |
|
|
GRAND TOTAL COLLECTIONS |
|
$617,116.16 |
|
Major
Accomplishments
Educational/Informational Brochures
The FARU develop
The publication entitl
The second publication entitl
Both of these publications are
provid
FARU/CAD Interface
A main focus of the FARU this year
was to complete the FARU/CAD interface.
The portion of the interface that allows CAD to transfer alarm call data
to the FARU was install
FARU staff electronically send alarm
user and alarm business data, including those alarm users who are in a
"non-response" status, to CAD on a daily basis. The FARU can send as many files each day as
is practical to ensure the most up-to-date information is hous
The download of alarm incident data
has greatly streamlin
Additionally, the upload of alarm
user and alarm business data has facilitat
Licensing and Joint Marketing Agreement
With the advent of false alarm r
The Licensing and Joint Marketing
Agreement with CACI, Inc. to market the FATB system was finaliz
A color brochure was develop
While no sales have yet been
consummat
Imaging
One of the five main components of
the FATB system is the imaging component.
Imaging allows the FARU to scan registrations, correspondence, payments,
etc., into the system for imm
This scanning allows FARU staff to
be more responsive to our customers when questions arise regarding an account,
as all information relevant to a particular account is hous
Collection Efforts
Bas
When an alarm user account becomes
delinquent, FARU staff refer the case to the OCA for collection. A letter is sent under Charles Thompson Jr.'s
signature requesting payment of the overdue amount within 10 days. The letter advises that if payment is not
receiv
A total of 108 lawsuits were fil
Only one lawsuit has actually gone
to trial. The suit was against a
residential alarm user in the amount of $1,200.
The county prevail
Civil Citations
The FARU began issuing $500 civil
citations late in 1996 to alarm companies that fail
One citation was paid in 1996 and
none went to trial. By the end of the
year, the process was still in its infancy.
Therefore, more in depth statistics are not available. The FARU will be able to provide more detail
Formal Appeals
The first and only formal appeal of
false alarm response fees was fil
FARU staff testifi
The Appellant alleg
Mr. Tierney's written report, dat
Major Offenders
The director of the FARU met with
three major retailers in the county who had amass
A major offender project will be
implement
False Alarm R
FARU staff continually receive
telephone calls from across the country requesting information on developing
false alarm r
With that in mind, the director of
the FARU gather
Montgomery County's FARU was
instrumental in getting the association off the ground and is working on
programs that will assist other jurisdictions just starting to enact false
alarm r
General Statistical Data
Registrations
As of December 31, 1996, there were
a total of 42,150 alarm users (34,048 residential and 8,102 commercial)
register
Inspection and Upgrade Certificates
The following charts reflect the
number of residential and commercial alarm users that reach
Inspections
Requir
|
.. Inspections |
Commercial 1995 |
Commercial 1996 |
Residential 1995 |
Residential 1996 |
Total 1995 |
Total 1996 |
|
Request |
1659 |
1608 |
1519 |
1424 |
3178 |
3032 |
|
Perform |
1059 |
1052 |
989 |
935 |
2048 |
1987 |
|
Not Perform |
600 |
556 |
530 |
489 |
1130 |
1045 |
|
Compliance Rate |
63.8% |
65.4% |
65.1% |
65.7% |
64.4% |
65.5% |
|
% +/- Compliance |
|
+1.6% |
|
+.6% |
|
+1.1% |
Upgrades
Requir
|
Upgrades |
Commercial 1995 |
Commercial 1996 |
Residential 1995 |
Residential 1996 |
Total 1995 |
Total 1996 |
|
Request |
206 |
156 |
19 |
11 |
225 |
167 |
|
Perform |
103 |
85 |
7 |
6 |
110 |
91 |
|
Not Perform |
103 |
71 |
12 |
5 |
115 |
76 |
|
Compliance Rate |
50.0% |
54.5% |
36.8% |
54.6% |
48.8% |
54.5% |
|
% +/- Compliance |
|
+4.5% |
|
+17.8% |
|
+5.7% |
Alarm Users in Violation (Non-Response) Status
A violation, or non-response status,
is one in which the alarm user has fail
The following charts reflect the
number of alarm users that were plac
Failure
to Pay False Alarm Response Fees
|
|
Commercial 1995 |
Commercial 1996 |
Residential 1995 |
Residential 1996 |
Total 1995 |
Total 1996 |
|
Failure to Pay Response
Fee |
210 |
379 |
89 |
161 |
299 |
540 |
|
Reinstatement After
Compliance |
102 |
335 |
39 |
120 |
141 |
455 |
|
Compliance Rate |
48.5% |
88.3% |
43.8% |
74.5% |
47.1% |
84.3% |
|
% +/- Compliance |
|
+39.8% |
|
+30.7% |
|
+37.2% |
Failure to Upgrade Alarm System
|
|
Commercial 1995 |
Commercial 1996 |
Residential 1995 |
Residential 1996 |
Total 1995 |
Total 1996 |
|
Failure to Up- grade
System |
43 |
58 |
2 |
4 |
45 |
62 |
|
Reinstatement After
Compliance |
3 |
80 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
84 |
|
Compliance Rate |
6.9% |
137.9%* |
50.5% |
100.0% |
8.8% |
135.5%* |
|
% +/- Compliance |
|
+131%* |
|
+135.5%* |
|
+126.7%* |
*Greater than 100% compliance is due to the fact that
statistics reflect upgrade certificates that were submitt
Failure to Pay False Alarm Response Fee AND Upgrade Alarm System
|
|
Commercial 1995 |
Commercial 1996 |
Residential 1995 |
Residential 1996 |
Total 1995 |
Total 1996 |
|
Failure to Pay &
Upgrade |
62 |
35 |
8 |
7 |
70 |
42 |
|
Reinstatement After
Compliance |
12 |
52 |
1 |
6 |
13 |
58 |
|
Compliance Rate |
19.3% |
148.6%* |
12.5% |
85.7% |
18.6% |
138.1%* |
|
% +/- Compliance |
|
+129.3%* |
|
+73.2% |
|
+119.5%* |
*Greater than 100% compliance is due to the fact that
statistics reflect upgrade certificates that were submitt
Failure to Register Alarm System
|
|
Commercial 1995 |
Commercial 1996 |
Residential 1995 |
Residential 1996 |
Total 1995 |
Total 1996 |
|
Failure to Register |
107 |
280 |
73 |
289 |
180 |
569 |
|
Reinstatement After
Compliance |
32 |
201 |
17 |
130 |
49 |
331 |
|
Compliance Rate |
29.9% |
71.8% |
23.3% |
45.0% |
27.2% |
58.2% |
|
% +/- Compliance |
|
+41.9% |
|
+21.7% |
|
+31.0 |
Informal False Alarm Appeals
Section 10, False Alarm Appeal
Process and Filing Fee, of Executive Regulation 46-93AMII, Policies,
Proc
FARU staff continue to spend an
inordinate amount of time reviewing, investigating and responding to
appeals. In 1996 there were 1085
informal appeals fil
Alarms by Count
Statistical data on how many alarm
users reach certain thresholds is important in determining if the number of
"free" false alarms is appropriate and to use as a gauge for
determining how many alarm users can meet certain standards. As we see in the next chart on page 16,
entitl
One of the most compelling
statistics on this chart is the number of alarm users, both commercial and
residential, who experienc
Alarm Users with
Specific Numbers of False Alarms
|
# of False Alarms |
1995 Com |
1996 Com |
% Change |
1995 Res |
1996 Res |
% Change |
1995 Total |
1996 Total |
% Change |
|
0 |
2352 |
4020 |
+71.7% |
18116 |
23328 |
+28.7% |
20468 |
27348 |
+33.6% |
|
1 |
4697 |
4082 |
-13.1% |
11271 |
10720 |
-4.9% |
15968 |
14802 |
-7.3% |
|
2 |
2699 |
2480 |
-4.4% |
4153 |
3852 |
-7.2% |
6852 |
6432 |
-6.1% |
|
3 |
1435 |
1019 |
-29.1% |
1171 |
540 |
-54.0% |
2606 |
1559 |
-40.2% |
|
4 |
1113 |
1039 |
-6.6% |
668 |
513 |
-23.2% |
1781 |
1552 |
-12.8% |
|
5 |
763 |
648 |
-15.1% |
292 |
168 |
-42.5% |
1055 |
816 |
-22.6% |
|
6 |
490 |
403 |
-17.7% |
128 |
57 |
-55.5% |
618 |
460 |
-25.6% |
|
7 |
331 |
250 |
-24.4% |
50 |
25 |
-50.0% |
381 |
275 |
-27.8% |
|
8 |
217 |
177 |
-18.4% |
19 |
12 |
-37.0% |
236 |
189 |
-19.9% |
|
9 |
145 |
120 |
-17.2% |
9 |
4 |
-55.5% |
154 |
124 |
-19.5% |
|
10 |
109 |
84 |
-22.9% |
7 |
0 |
-100% |
116 |
84 |
-27.6% |
|
11 |
75 |
57 |
-24.0% |
6 |
0 |
-100% |
81 |
57 |
-29.6% |
|
12 |
49 |
40 |
-18.4% |
3 |
0 |
-100% |
52 |
40 |
-23.1% |
|
13 |
35 |
33 |
-5.7% |
1 |
0 |
-100% |
36 |
33 |
-8.3% |
|
14 |
30 |
25 |
-16.7% |
2 |
0 |
-100% |
32 |
25 |
-21.9% |
|
15 |
24 |
23 |
-4.2% |
2 |
0 |
-100% |
26 |
23 |
-11.5% |
|
16 |
18 |
20 |
+11.0% |
1 |
0 |
-100% |
19 |
20 |
+5.3% |
|
17 |
11 |
15 |
+36.4% |
|
|
|
11 |
15 |
+36.4% |
|
18 |
11 |
10 |
-9.1% |
|
|
|
11 |
10 |
-9.1% |
|
19 |
8 |
7 |
-12.5% |
|
|
|
8 |
7 |
-12.5% |
|
20 |
5 |
6 |
+16.7% |
|
|
|
5 |
6 |
+16.7% |
|
21 |
5 |
4 |
-20.0% |
|
|
|
5 |
4 |
-20.0% |
|
22 |
4 |
3 |
-25.0% |
|
|
|
4 |
3 |
-25.0% |
|
23 |
2 |
4 |
+100% |
|
|
|
2 |
4 |
+100% |
|
24 |
2 |
4 |
+100% |
|
|
|
2 |
4 |
+100% |
|
25 |
2 |
2 |
0% |
|
|
|
2 |
2 |
0% |
|
26 |
1 |
0 |
-100% |
|
|
|
1 |
0 |
-100% |
|
27 |
1 |
0 |
-100% |
|
|
|
1 |
0 |
-100% |
|
28 |
1 |
0 |
-100% |
|
|
|
1 |
0 |
-100% |
|
29 |
1 |
0 |
-100% |
|
|
|
1 |
0 |
-100% |
The "1996 False Alarm Response Fee
Collections" chart shows that the FARU's increas
1996 False Alarm Response Fee Collections
|
# of False Alarms |
Commercial Bill |
Commercial Collect |
Collection Rate |
Residential Bill |
Residential Collect |
Collection Rate |
|
4 |
1039 |
849 |
81.7% |
513 |
424 |
82.7% |
|
5 |
648 |
513 |
79.2% |
168 |
129 |
76.8% |
|
6 |
403 |
313 |
77.7% |
57 |
41 |
71.9% |
|
7 |
250 |
184 |
73.6% |
25 |
16 |
64.0% |
|
8 |
177 |
126 |
71.1% |
12 |
7 |
58.3% |
|
9 |
120 |
90 |
75.0% |
4 |
1 |
25.0% |
|
10 |
84 |
57 |
67.8% |
|
|
|
|
11 |
57 |
37 |
64.9% |
|
|
|
|
12 |
40 |
25 |
62.5% |
|
|
|
|
13 |
33 |
19 |
57.6% |
|
|
|
|
14 |
25 |
14 |
56.0% |
|
|