SEATTLE, WA - As the Seattle Police Department (SPD) continues to grapple with low staffing levels, it has had to make decisions about where to send the staff that they do currently have.
According to MyNorthwest, a letter from SPD Interim Chief Sue Rahr states that beginning October 1st, the department will only send officers to calls from alarm companies that have evidence that a person is illegally entering or trying to enter a home or business. Some examples of evidence would include audio, video, panic alarms or eye witnesses.
Rahr said that SPD will no longer respond to calls from alarm companies based only on sensor or motion activations. After a year of looking at the data, Rahr said that of the 13,000 burglary alarm calls SPD received in 2023, less than four percent had a crime associated with them. She said, "With depleted resources, we cannot prioritize a patrol response when there is a very low probability that criminal activity is taking place."
She added, "We know this will require that you notify customers of this change and that additional effort may be required to work with them on technology upgrades or alternative options. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation." Not all alarm companies agree with SPD's decision. Steve Autio, the branch manager for ADI Global Distribution said that he thinks SPD's decision will only make crime worse.
He said, "I think the reason they're doing this is they figure they don't have enough officers. But the problem is, it's going to make the city even less safe." Autio said that although 80 to 85 percent of the alarms are most likely false, he wishes SPD had worked with the alarm companies before just making this decision. He said, "We can work together with the police department to come up with other ideas."
Autio said that he is worried someone could break into a gun store and while the owner is responding, they're faced with a criminal. He added that pharmacies, banks, and schools could be broken into with no response. His biggest concern though, is the children. He said, "Let's say my daughter's bedroom window has a sensor on it and somebody breaks in there, well, nobody's coming to help. And if I'm not there, or she's on the lower floor or something like that, who's going to be there to help her?"
Rahr said that SPD's highest priority is responding to violent incidents happening in real time. Back in April, a report came out that SPD's staffing levels were the lowest the city has seen since 1957. As of December 2023, the department only had 424 police officers working patrol. Of the 424, at least 66 were eligible for retirement back in April.
SPD officers are barely able to keep up with 911 calls. Often, precincts are at or below staffing minimums and at times officers from other precincts must provide supplemental patrol to other parts of the city. Beyond patrol, the Seattle police staffing crisis has meant that units are becoming inundated with untenable workloads.
The letter from SPD that was sent to the alarm companies was sent out on September 13th, according to KOMO News. Washington Alarm said that the policy change will impact more than 75,000 alarm sites in the community. The company said in a statement, "The verified response policy has been tried and rejected numerous times including by cities such as Dallas, Texas, and San Jose, California. It goes against best practices established through a collaborative effort by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Sheriff's Association."
Washington Alarm said, "Our industry supports the police and agrees that they need to conserve resources, but there is a better way." The letter stated the change in SPD's response does not impact the licensing and reporting requirements for alarm system monitoring companies as defined in Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) 6.10.
According to MyNorthwest, a letter from SPD Interim Chief Sue Rahr states that beginning October 1st, the department will only send officers to calls from alarm companies that have evidence that a person is illegally entering or trying to enter a home or business. Some examples of evidence would include audio, video, panic alarms or eye witnesses.
Rahr said that SPD will no longer respond to calls from alarm companies based only on sensor or motion activations. After a year of looking at the data, Rahr said that of the 13,000 burglary alarm calls SPD received in 2023, less than four percent had a crime associated with them. She said, "With depleted resources, we cannot prioritize a patrol response when there is a very low probability that criminal activity is taking place."
She added, "We know this will require that you notify customers of this change and that additional effort may be required to work with them on technology upgrades or alternative options. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation." Not all alarm companies agree with SPD's decision. Steve Autio, the branch manager for ADI Global Distribution said that he thinks SPD's decision will only make crime worse.
He said, "I think the reason they're doing this is they figure they don't have enough officers. But the problem is, it's going to make the city even less safe." Autio said that although 80 to 85 percent of the alarms are most likely false, he wishes SPD had worked with the alarm companies before just making this decision. He said, "We can work together with the police department to come up with other ideas."
Autio said that he is worried someone could break into a gun store and while the owner is responding, they're faced with a criminal. He added that pharmacies, banks, and schools could be broken into with no response. His biggest concern though, is the children. He said, "Let's say my daughter's bedroom window has a sensor on it and somebody breaks in there, well, nobody's coming to help. And if I'm not there, or she's on the lower floor or something like that, who's going to be there to help her?"
Rahr said that SPD's highest priority is responding to violent incidents happening in real time. Back in April, a report came out that SPD's staffing levels were the lowest the city has seen since 1957. As of December 2023, the department only had 424 police officers working patrol. Of the 424, at least 66 were eligible for retirement back in April.
SPD officers are barely able to keep up with 911 calls. Often, precincts are at or below staffing minimums and at times officers from other precincts must provide supplemental patrol to other parts of the city. Beyond patrol, the Seattle police staffing crisis has meant that units are becoming inundated with untenable workloads.
The letter from SPD that was sent to the alarm companies was sent out on September 13th, according to KOMO News. Washington Alarm said that the policy change will impact more than 75,000 alarm sites in the community. The company said in a statement, "The verified response policy has been tried and rejected numerous times including by cities such as Dallas, Texas, and San Jose, California. It goes against best practices established through a collaborative effort by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Sheriff's Association."
Washington Alarm said, "Our industry supports the police and agrees that they need to conserve resources, but there is a better way." The letter stated the change in SPD's response does not impact the licensing and reporting requirements for alarm system monitoring companies as defined in Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) 6.10.
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