New ACPO Policy is approved

Under the new arrangements the police response priority will be reduced after two false calls. After a further three false calls in any twelve month period the response will be withdrawn. To restore response, evidence will be required that the system has been free of false calls for three months. Police will also require evidence that the original cause has been rectified and the system has been upgraded to include confirmed activation.

From October 1 2001 all new alarm systems will also have to provide confirmed activation to secure a police response. Police forces will be free to apply an administration charge for the setting up of new systems requiring a police response.

Confirmation required

The BSIA (British Security Industry Association) has given a thumbs up to the new policy. BSIA Customer Relations Director, Stephen Adams, said: "We welcome the fact that there will be an agreed policy for England, Wales and Northern Ireland ." He added that the BSIA was also talking to ACPO Scotland where it was hoped that all forces would adopt a similar policy. "We now look forward to working with the Police to ensure that the policy implementation helps to reduce the unacceptable levels of false alarms", he added. The policy was originally scheduled to be published in the summer and since then speculation has been rife about the extent of confirmation technology the new policy would require. Since the summer, three forces have split with the ACPO party line and demanded installers in their area conform to their own requirements.

'Go it alone' announcements

West Midlands Police announced it would not attend commercial alarms at certain times unless they were confirmed; South Yorkshire Police announced they wanted alarm receiving centres to route calls via a premium rate line at £1.50 per minute and, as reported in Installer last month, West Mercia Police announced a "reduced" response policy.

These 'go-it-alone' announcements caused a furore among installers in the police areas who said the extra work was impossible to do in the time given before the deadlines. The West Mercia policy gave installers a maximum of only ten days notice.

The BSIA, which speaks for the industry as a whole, has strongly criticised these breakaways and in the case of West Midlands, mounted a successful legal challenge.

As in the West Midlands, in West Mercia there was no discussion with the industry before the policy was changed. As Security Installer went to press the full policy was not available, but it will be featured on the BSIA website at www.bsia.co.uk as soon as it is available.