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MUMFORNI
ATHERTON POLICE DEPARTMENT
Inter-Department Correspondence
To: Chief McCulley
From: Commander Larsen
Date: February 14", 2024
Subject: 2023 Alarm Audit
Audit Purpose: The purpose of this audit is to provide information on alarm permits, false alarms, real alarms and alarm revenue made while providing alarm monitoring and Police response services to the Atherton community.
Audit Scope: This audit is specifically intended for the 2023 calendar year and to provide information on alarm permits, false alarms, real alarms and alarm revenue made while providing alarm monitoring and Police response services to the Atherton Community.
Audit Methodology: To review the above alarm data using the department's CAD system and revenue data provided by the Tonw's financial department.
Audit Results: The False Alarm Billing Procedures were introduced shortly after Resolution 18-23 was approved by Council on October 17,2018. APD began educating residents in 2019 with alarm notification letters and eventually post cards mailed via US Mail to notify residents when APD responded to their residence for false alarm activations.
Resolution 18-23 amended the Town's Master Fee schedule to add an annual alarm permit fee and other fees associated with false alarms. The resolution established the following fees:
Description Fee
Initial Alarm Set up Fee $100
Annual Alarm System Service Fee (Jan $50
1)
False Alarm Fee Service Charge - Fee
One year period (12 months)
4 $200
5 $300
Subsequent alarms after 5 $400
Beginning in January 2023, alarm billing for alarm permits and false alarms was based on a calendar year schedule, January 1 through December 31.
In 2023, Atherton Police Dispatchers handled 1,461 alarm calls, either from the Bosch alarm panel in dispatch or from outside alarm companies/reporting parties calling into dispatch. Below is a breakdown by alarm type and numbers of alarms processed:
ALARMAUD - audible alarms heard in 53
the area
ALARMDUR - panic/duress alarms 41
ALARMFD - fire alarms predominantly 85
cleared out as outside referral meaning the
Fire Department handled/responded, PD
generally does not respond.
ALARM - general burglary alarms | 1237
When an alarm comes into Dispatch, the process is lengthy. First, a call is created in CAD. Then, officers are dispatched to the address. While enroute to the address, the dispatcher is making phone calls to numbers listed in the premise file, trying to determine if the alarm is false or needing continued police response. Our most frequent alarm type is ALARM - general burglary alarms. Of the 1,237 general alarms that came into APD, below is a breakdown of the number and the disposition - how the alarm was cleared out.
597 DA Disregard/Cancel
323 1F 1st False Alarm
136 2F 2nd False Alarm
48 3F 3rd False Alarm
20 4F 4th False Alarm
12 5F 54 False Alarm
4 6F 6th False Alarm
1 7F Jh False Alarm
AS Assisted
FA False Alarm - Schools
4 ML Malfunction
1 OK Checks OK
87 OT Alarm-
Unknown/Malfunction
Of the alarms received, six resulted in confirmed residential burglaries. Four alarms were called in by an outside alarm company. Two alarms came directly into the PD. Per protocol, after dispatching units to an alarm, we call the premise to see if anyone is home. During one phone call, the resident specifically cancelled PD response even after receiving several alarm activations. Upon returning home a short time later, the resident found his home had been broken into and items taken.
Finance
Finance tallies billing based on a fiscal billing cycle and provided the following financial information:
False Alarms FY 22-23
Paid: $5,500.00 (Removed by PD - Billed: $8,000.00
$1,000.00)
4th $1,800.00 $2,000.00
5th $2,100.00 $2,400.00
6+th $1,800.00 $3,600.00
False Alarms FY 23-24
Paid: $3,300.00 Billed: $8,000.00
4th $1,600.00 $3,200.00
5th $900.00 $2,400.00
6+th $800.00 $2,400.00
Alarm Permits
New permits - 204 issued ($20,400)
Renewal permits issued - 545 ($27,250)
Audit Action Items:
Continue working with finance to streamline alarm billing process.
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