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Article: Alachua County false alarm reduction unit nets big savings, better safety for citizens
- Article from:
- Sheriff
- Article date:
- July 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright National Sheriff's Association Jul/Aug 2003. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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As sworn law enforcement officers, we know that a few seconds of response time on alarm calls can mean the difference between catching a violator or letting a criminal go free. But as many as 99 out of 100 alarm calls in Alachua County, Fla., are false alarms.
False alarm calls cost time for law enforcement and they cost taxpayers money. But more importantly, they divert law enforcement officers from real emergencies and have the effect of encouraging complacency when answering calls. That's something that could one day cost a life.
In Alachua County, though, we established a program that succeeded in reducing false alarms by 56 percent. By combining new computer technology and ...