Cities considering tightening alarm policies

The sheriff's office, which used to provide law enforcement for Cottonwood Heights, has a policy of responding to alarms even if it takes several hours, said sheriff's spokesman Lt. Paul Jaroscak.

Draper's municipal code fines alarm users for the third false call in a year and also requires alarm users to be registered with the city. That policy brings in about $40,000 per year but takes the resources of a full-time officer, city finance director Danyce Steck told the council.

Draper Police Chief Mac Connole said the current rules requiring officers to go to the scene of all alarms has never resulted in an arrest. The chief has asked the council to consider charging for the second alarm and even to consider adopting a guard-response policy.

According to a 2006 study sponsored by the Security Industry Alarm Coalition, that would be a bad idea. A telephone survey of Salt Lake residents found that two-thirds of voters disapprove of their city's policy and that 60 percent would vote against a candidate that supported such a rule.

However, the policy had been in effect for almost seven years and most respondents were unaware of it before they were called for the survey.

Bedard said the capital city hasn't seen any negative effects from its guard-response rule.

"The longer this has gone, people have realized that it's a good thing," he said. "It frees up police for people getting beaten up and speeders and that kind of thing."

Cottonwood Heights officials have asked the police department to continue current policies but plan to take another look at the issue in six months. Draper is drafting an ordinance that would change its policies. Before adoption, public hearings will be required.

For more information, visit utahalarm.org or city Web sites draper.ut.us and cottonwoodheights.utah.gov.

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