University of North Carolina at Charlotte Study Reveals Best Method
0 Comments | Wireless News, Jul 27, 2010
Researchers at the UNC Charlotte are recommending the best way to measure the effectiveness of programs that reduce police dispatches to burglar alarms.
Traditionally, public safety agencies and regulators have utilized statistics showing the percentage of police dispatches where officers did not identify a crime when responding to the call. Researchers say that method can be misleading.
“Alarm systems are a proven method of protecting life and property,” said Dr. Kristie Blevins, a key author of the report and assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology. “Our study identified best practices in evaluating alarm systems.”
The report notes that simply attempting to quantify the number of police responses caused by alarms fails to take into account the growing number of alarm systems. “Percentages have limited usefulness in demonstrating changes over time,” says Dr. Blevins. “Model city ordinances, better equipment, public education, fines and other steps can substantially reduce the burden on law enforcement without changing the percentage of dispatches counted as false.”
Blevins recommends a different approach called the “alarm factor.” Put simply, it divides the number of alarm dispatches by the number of alarm permits. This takes into account the ratio of false alarm dispatches to the number of monitored alarm systems.
For example, a community utilizing best practices might have a false alarm rate of .25 (one false alarm per registered permit every four years). A city with no alarm ordinance might have a factor of .75 (three invalid alarms per registered permit every four years). By tracking the “alarm factor,” cities can better determine how they are managing alarm systems to protect citizens while preserving police response