City of Olathe outsources false alarm reduction program

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OLATHE, Mo.—A Feb. 19 story from the Kansas City Star reported a private company will help the Olathe Police Department with monitoring and implementing its false alarm reduction program.

City Council members voted 4-2 at their meeting Feb, 16 to approve the contract with AOT Public Safety Corp of Waldorf, Md.

The program focuses on reducing the number of false alarm calls through education and registration compliance, which includes fining businesses and homeowners who have multiple false alarms.

At-Large councilman John Bacon, who voted against the contract, said the police department should rehire the position. This would provide an Olathe resident a job and the city would reap all the revenue, he said.

The Olathe Police said the department could hire someone, but it would defeat the program's purpose, which is to reduce the number of false alarms without incurring extra costs. The program never was meant to generate revenue, but to reduce the time officers spent on false alarms.

AOT will work on commission. For every false alarm fine it collects, it will get 48 percent and the city will get 52 percent. AOT will provide daily program operations, alarm registrations, false alarm tracking and billing services, and performance and outcome reports for the city.

AOT also will provide online alarm registration and fee payments for users.

The contract is two years. The city would pay AOT $18,000 if it broke the contract for any reason, except for AOT's failure to perform, within the first two years.