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Alarms policy - Policy on Response to Security Systems

From 4 January 2011, Thames Valley Police will only accept an administration fee of £52.18 (£43.49 + VAT at the current rate of 20%).

Thames Valley Police has implemented the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) national policy on responding to security systems. This aims to reduce the amount of time and money spent reacting to false calls and puts the onus on the system users to upgrade their security systems at premises where alarms frequently go off.

The policy seeks to raise standards and provide minimum requirements for alarm installations. It encourages the installation and maintenance of effective deterrent and warning devices, and places responsibility on the security industry to come up with more reliable systems and technology.

The main provisions include:

• All new monitored alarm systems that require police response must conform to PD6662:2004 standard and the latest edition of DD243.
• Police response will be withdrawn from alarms if they cause too many false activations in any rolling 12 month period:
                •  Intruder – 3 false calls
                •  PA – 2 false calls
• This can be reinstated:
                •  Intruder:
                           •  Unconfirmed systems – upgrade to confirmed technology
                           •  Confirmed systems – cause of false calls found & remedied & 3 months without false calls being generated.
                 •  PA:
                           •  Audio, video, call back or combination intervention added.
                           •  Intervention systems – cause of false calls found & remedied & 3 months without false calls being generated.
• Police response to audible alarms (those not monitored by an alarm receiving company) is dependent on some additional indication from a person at the scene that a criminal offence is in progress.
• Monitored security system users requiring a police response will be charged an administrative fee for having their system registered with Thames Valley Police. This is not a charge for attending alarm calls, nor does it form a contract with the occupier of the premises for response to calls.
• Thames Valley Police will send letters to the alarm user and Alarm Company drawing their attention to the problem on the first occurrence of a false call. We will also write to them if the intruder alarm facility or the PA facility reaches the false alarm withdrawal of response thresholds.

It should be noted that police response is ultimately determined by the nature of demand, priorities and resources which exist at the time a request for police response is received.

Alarms Administration,
Thames Valley Police HQ,
Oxford Road,
Kidlington,
Oxfordshire,
OX5 2NX.
Email Alarms Administration.
Fax: 01865 293489
Tel: 01865 293348