Problems of using alarm systems in the UK.
International Security Review.- 1995 .- The alarm Special issue.- P. 5, 6.
Problems of using alarm systems in the UK
The International Security Review magazine reports on the use of alarm systems to combat crime in the UK and the problems associated with their use.
The article was written by the chairman of the British Association of the Alarm Industry.
As the magazine notes, in 1983 there were 800,000 cases of burglary, unlawful entry into premises and theft registered in the UK. In 1994 the number of burglaries reached 1.36 million (detected crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales alone).
According to the Association of British Insurers, they paid out £376 million in claims for commercial and domestic burglaries in 1986. The amount paid out in 1992 was over £1 billion.
In 1983, there were 121,000 police officers (excluding civilian police) in the UK police force. Ten years later, that number had risen to 127,000. In 1983, the police solved one crime in three. By 1993, they solved one crime in four. In other words, three crimes out of four now go unsolved.
There are now almost the same number of police officers as in 1983, dealing with a much higher volume of crime.
The real increase in crime is the main driving force behind the installation of alarm systems in protected areas, and the main reason why the alarm market is growing.
In 1994, there were 130,000 real alarms in the UK, but only 6,600 resulted in an arrest. That is, 95% of the time, no arrest was made.
It is common practice in UK industry for technical and professional standards to be developed by all interested organisations. This includes the police in relation to their involvement in alarm systems.
The situation has developed in such a way that the police impose technical requirements on the UK alarm industry which in some cases exceed UK standards.
It seems that the police want to take on the role of arbiter over the activities of the alarm industry.
Reviewing the recent history of the alarm industry, the author notes that in 1987, according to the Association of Chief Police Officers, there were 375,000 alarm systems installed in the UK. They generated 983,000 false alarms per year, which was approximately 2.62 false alarms per year per alarm system (a perfectly acceptable level).
Unfortunately, things got worse and worse in this regard, and in 1989, 500,000 alarm systems were generating more than 1.2 million false alarms per year. It looks like things will continue to be this way.
In 1993, the number of alarm systems reached 700,000, i.e. their number increased by about 100% in seven years.
At the same time, there was a decrease in the number (relative) of false alarms (1 million false alarms per year for 700,000 alarm systems), which is 1.48 false alarms per year per alarm system, a level slightly better than that which existed in 1987.
This level is still quite high, but events are developing in a favorable direction.
It is assumed that the increase in the number of alarm systems will lead to an increase in the number of false alarms.
Even now, 1 million false alarms per year means 118 alarms every hour.
The following circumstances contribute to the fact that the level of false alarms remains quite high.
1. Insurers do not want the police to participate in the protection of facilities where alarm systems are installed.
2. Users of alarm systems do not want the police to participate in the protection of their facilities.
3. The police themselves are also not particularly willing to participate in the protection of facilities where alarm systems are installed.
4. Moreover, the public also does not want the police to take part in protecting the facilities where alarm systems are installed.
What is the solution to all these problems? It can be said quite definitely that the solution to these problems does not lie in the sphere of any sanctions, punishments, fines or anything similar.
Confrontation always leads to mutual suspicion and division. The only dynamic way forward is to install subsystems in alarm systems to check the reality of alarm signals.
The alarm industry has already made significant progress in creating subsystems to verify the reality of alarms. Now that such subsystems are being implemented, it opens up new possibilities for reducing the number of false alarms.
Apparently, it will not be possible to completely eliminate the possibility of false alarms, because there are always some rough edges in the operation of alarm systems that cause false alarms, such as errors in closing and opening objects, problems with communication lines. Sometimes personnel mistakenly remain on the territory of the protected object, while it is already closed and set to the alarm. Other errors and deviations are also possible.
In this regard, it is advisable to filter out those alarm signals that do not require police intervention by using sound and visual systems to confirm the reality of the alarm signal, by using a deeply echeloned alarm system. For example, when a signal is triggered about opening a door to a protected facility, after some time an alarm should be triggered, indicating that there are strangers on the territory, for example, of a store.
It is a well-known fact that nothing changes until someone takes the lead. Therefore, the UK alarm industry believes that it should take this role in developing subsystems to check the validity of alarms and reduce false alarms.
The UK alarm industry has developed a number of procedures to check the validity of alarms and to prevent genuine alarms from going unnoticed.
Procedures have been developed to help users of these systems avoid false alarms without compromising the security of the protected facility.
By developing alarm filtering systems, it is ensured that fewer and fewer false alarms are received by the police alarm control panel.
The Alarm Industry Authority hopes to be given the opportunity to regulate itself voluntarily and independently. It is counting on the help of the UK National Approval Council of Security Systems (NACOSS).
The police agree that there are 1,100 companies on the list of companies that have the right to manufacture and install alarm systems. Of these, 700 work under the direct supervision of the above-mentioned council.
Another problem that deserves attention is the speed of police response to alarm signals and the speed of arrival of raiding parties at facilities that have been broken into by criminals.
The author of the article has worked in the alarm industry for many years and responsibly states that most companies operating in this area work quite conscientiously.
Alarm systems have proven their usefulness many times in protecting premises and facilities.
The UK alarm industry attaches great importance to improving relations with the police and all interested departments.
Only as a result of joint efforts of the British alarm industry, the police and other organizations can success be achieved in the fight against crime.