Detroit’s false alarm calls drop

June 17, 2004 DETROIT - About one year ago, the Detroit Police department threatened to stop responding to false burglar alarms. Even with citizens of the community and local alarm companies united to prevent such an action, the police decided they had enough. But through the actions of the Burglar & Fire Alarm Association of Michigan, the action was called off. The Burglar & Fire Alarm Association’s Detroit False Alarm Reduction committee, chaired by Hank Luks, organized local alarm companies to meet principal members of the city council and discuss the problems at their meetings. In addition, the committee drafted a pledge to be signed by local alarm companies that stated the group would target the top 5 percent of alarm abuse for reform. “Police departments, in general, don’t favor alarm companies and don’t consider us their pals,” continued Luks, who founded and serves as president of a local monitoring center in Eastpointe, Mich., Controllor Security Systems. “We said we believe with cooperation and getting involved with the communications division (of the local police department) that if they would sit down with us we could reduce false alarms.” False alarms in the city have dropped from the first five months of this year versus last from 48,382 to 33,262, a reduction of 31 percent. Luks points out that the pledge was an important step in reducing customer abuse and showing local authorities that they meant business. Ten alarm companies have signed the pledge already, including eight local companies and two nationals: ADT and Brinks. Luks said his goal is to introduce the committee’s success to other areas within the state, with the ultimate goal of having the initiative enacted statewide.