The Regina Police Service administers the False Alarm Bylaw #2004-24 for the City of Regina. The service dispatches to all residential and commercial alarm sites within city limits for Alarm Monitoring Stations.
Regina has experienced rapid growth in the past several years, resulting in a significant increase in dispatch requests during a period when existing resources must not only respond to an increased number of alarm dispatch requests, but must dedicate additional resources to mitigate the risks of public safety. In an effort to ensure that public safety is not jeopardized and the Regina Police Service is deploying its resources as efficiently as possible, the service has been required to review its response to alarm dispatch requests. As a result,effective January 1, 2019 the Regina Police Service will implement a dispatch requirement called Enhanced Call Verification. This will ensure that police resources are available to respond to those dispatch requests, including alarm occurrences, where timely police response is required to ensure public safety. This will require a combined effort by both the Regina Police Service and the alarm monitoring companies to ensure that sufficient information is provided when an alarm occurrence is reported to the Regina Police Service.
Effective January 1,2019, the Regina Police Service will no longer dispatch police ‘1 hit’ alarm activations, where only one zone has been activated in a premise. Alarm monitoring companies will also be required to conduct enhanced call verification, where attempts must be made to contact at least two key holders prior to contacting police. Alarm calls will also no longer be dispatched for commercial premises during regular business hours, as indicated on the registered alarm permit.
All calls involving panic, hold-up, or duress alarms, and any verified valid alarm activations will still be attended to by police.
The Regina Police Service currently responds to approximately 12 alarm calls each day. Of these calls, 99% are deemed to be false alarms. These changes allow the Regina Police Service to respond to legitimate public safety concern calls for service.
Changes to the dispatch criteria will make for more efficient use of police resources and will better align Regina with models for how alarm calls are responded to by other police services in major centres across Canada and North America. Without having to respond to false alarms, members of the Regina Police Service will be available to respond to other calls. It is anticipated that Regina will see improved call response times, with a focus on responses to valid alarm activations and priority calls, with no increased risk to the public. Questions about these changes can be directed to the Regina Police Service Alarm Coordinator at [email protected]or (306) 777-8617.
