ADT Moreno Valley, California

Moreno Valley, Calif. Homeowners Dealing With Police Cuts & False Alarms

The residents of Moreno Valley, Calif., are experiencing a bit of a shake-up regarding the police department in the city. The changes are something residents need to be aware of.

The Police Force is Shrinking

No homeowner or resident of Moreno Valley, Calif., wants to hear that the security in the city is not as good as it used to be, but that is the truth. The city has been pushing to cut certain programs for years. One might imagine that the police department would be safe from these types of cuts, but that is not the case. The police department in Moreno Valley, Calif., had to cut down the police force by 19 percent. The reduction was planned to take place within a few years, and it has affected the city in several ways.

The measure passed in the city without any obstacles. Of course, someone might wonder how people were convinced that cutting down the police force in the city was a good idea. The people who voted for this cut decided this was the best way to save money. The change ended up saving the city over $6.3 million, which is definitely the kind of savings city officials love to see.

How the Reduction of Police Affected Homeowners

Some homeowners may not understand how this measure changed things, and some of these changes have negatively affected them. The following are just some of those changes.

Crime Rates are Higher

A home could be burglarized or a person can simply invade a home to threaten the lives of the people within the household. No one is saying that Moreno Valley, Calif., or any other city can guarantee the safety of the residents, but most people would agree that having more police on the force should help ensure safety.

As it stands, the chances of a homeowner in Moreno Valley, Calif., becoming a victim of an invasion or burglary are much higher than the national average. This rate alone should be enough for any homeowner to invest in a good home security system. It is clear that home security systems severely reduce the chances of a home being burglarized by a criminal. It should be noted that a home with a security system is about 60 percent less likely to be targeted by a criminal who is looking for an easy score.

False Alarms are a Burden

Of course, many homeowners in Moreno Valley, Calif., have opted to install a good security system to protect their home and loved ones. Those who have a security system should be worried about what the decrease of cops might mean to them. For one, the police department is cracking down on false alarms. This is happening because the police force is smaller, meaning that responding to a false call may be pulling the police officer away from a serious crime. Keep in mind that the police department already charges $25 to $32 for a false alarm.

The department’s response time has already suffered due to the decrease of cops, making it imperative to cut down on false alarms. It should be noted that around 75 percent of all calls in 2014 were erroneous, which ended up costing the city about $144,716. One action that the city took against false calls was forcing home security companies to call twice to confirm an emergency before dispatching any police to the scene.

The danger a homeowner and his or her family are put in because the police department cannot afford false alarms is scary. The response time is already slow, but now home security companies have to verify before help is sent to the homeowner. This means that the homeowner might have to wait longer for a cop to come help.

Tips to Prevent False Alarms

There are a few things that homeowners can do to decrease the chance of triggering the house security system accidentally. Of course, homeowners who have pets need to inform the home security system company. Some systems have sensors that are sensitive to certain pets, making it easy for an unaccounted animal to make the alarm go of. The sensors can be adjusted to accommodate for pets.

Be sure to keep the keycode in a safe location. This location must be known to all members of the household to prevent one of the most common reasons for a false alarm, which is entering the wrong keyword.

It is important that homeowners check all doors and entries before turning on the alarm system. Believe it or not, one of the most common reasons a false alarm is triggered is simply because a window was cracked or a door was opened. The alarm rightfully turns on when it senses these issues.

Remove all hanging materials away from sensors, which could be mistaken for a threat by the alarm system. This is simply because the item that is hung can move, and the sensors will detect those movements.

Weak batteries are another reason why some alarm systems go off without being triggered. Replacing bad batteries is pretty easy, and it should help prevent a false alarm. The fee to pay for a false alarm is high, and the city’s police department is not handling the cuts as well as predicted.

It is clear to see why a home security system in Moreno Valley, Calif. is important, but the situation in the city also makes it vital to prevent issues like false alarms.