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Commissioners to vote on response plan

Commissioners to vote on response plan

LOS ANGELES -Members of the Los Angeles Police Commission are expected to vote on the city’s verified response policy at a meeting this month, after delaying action on the issue at least once before. The proposal is being met by strong opposition from local alarm companies as well as homeowners’ groups who fear that the policy, if approved, would slow response time and spell an invitation to burglars. An alarm would have to be confirmed by a video camera, sighting of an intruder, a phone call to the premise or by physical verification by an alarm company employee. Police commissioners and the city’s chief of police are in favor of the policy, which they estimate would eliminate or greatly reduce the 92 percent false alarm rate. Police here respond to about 136,000 burglar alarms each year, which are listed as low priority and have an average response time of about 45 minutes, according to The Daily News of Los Angeles. Exemptions under the plan would include banks, the city’s 30 gun dealers and government buildings, as well as robbery and panic alarms. Police said that they would give the alarm industry a chance to submit alternate proposals to reduce false alarms.

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