The Metropolitan Police Service has reported A sharp decline in false alarm activations over the past 12 months, but the good news is tempered by Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) research suggesting that false alarms are still costing the force some GB pound 15 million per annum.
Speaking at the BT RedCARE-sponsored Metropolitan Police Alarm Performance Awards 2002 ceremony, held at New Scotland Yard, Commander Ron McPherson – group director of the Met’s communications programme – said: “Reducing the false alarms rate in the Capital is an ideal to which we all aspire. However, it’s much easier to talk about than to achieve. Certainly, it can have a massive impact on what the Met can achieve as a police force, freeing officers up for other work in the community.”
Since the introduction of ACPO’s ‘Security Systems Policy 2000’, false alarms in the capital have dropped by 22,000 to 150,000 in the last 12 months. “That’s excellent news,” added McPherson. “We’re hoping to reduce the number of false activations to below 100,000 before the year is out.”
Launched in 1999 as the first initiative of its kind to be implemented by a police force anywhere in the UK, the Alarm Performance Awards are designed to recognise those companies that have had the lowest false alarm rates within the Metropolitan Police’s boundary zones during the past year.
The scheme is also designed to encourage installers and their clients to improve standards in alarm system design, installation and commissioning.
As ever, this year’s competition was divided into three categories, encompassing small (50 to 999 installations), medium (1,000 through to 4,999 installations) and large-sized companies (the latter category competed for between those firms installing over 5,000 systems in the year).
The 2002 winners – whose representatives were presented with their awards by Steve Church of BT RedCARE and Kevin Mann, secretary of the ACPO Security Systems Group – are as follows:
Small Companies
Gold Award: Security Masters
Silver Award: Cox Security
Bronze Award: Cartell Security Systems
Medium Companies
Gold Award: Tara Alarms
Silver Award: Spy Alarms
Bronze Award: London East Security
Large Companies
Gold Award: Chubb Electronic Security
Silver Award: Banham Alarms
Bronze Award: ADT Fire and Security
Also speaking at the New Scotland Yard ceremony, Steve Church added: “These awards are unique in the UK. It’s a scheme that should be copied by other police forces on a nationwide basis.”
