As of March 1st, 2024, the Peterborough Police Service will be joining other police services by introducing a Verified Alarm Response Program (VARP). This means Alarm Monitoring Services will be required to verify any alarm signal they receive prior to notifying police.
“The Peterborough Police Service is adopting VARP to improve service delivery to residents and business owners and to decrease the time spent responding to false alarms,” says Peter Sejrup, Inspector, Support Services, Peterborough Police Service. “Annually, the Peterborough Police Service responds to approximately 1,000 calls for service regarding alarms with a 5-year average false rate of approximately 94%. This represents a significant amount of resources dedicated to incidents where police are not required.”
To dispatch police to a property-related alarm, alarm monitoring services will have to verify that a criminal offence has occurred or is occurring using at least one of the following verification criteria:
- Audio Signal (confirm criminal activity through sound detected on the premises)
- Video Signal (confirm criminal activity through visual images)
- On-Scene Witnesses (who can confirm suspected criminal activity from the scene)
- Multiple Alarm Activation Points (at least two sensors in a manner or sequence that indicates suspected criminal activity)
The Peterborough Police Service will continue to provide immediate response to panic/hold-up/duress alarms when there is reason to believe that a crime is in progress, or an emergency exists. Verification of those types of alarm is not required as the safety of the community is paramount.
Learn more about the Verified Alarm Response Program: https://www.peterboroughpolice.com/en/learn/verified-alarm-response-program-v-a-r-p.aspx
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
