Do the home security companies whose little signs read “armed response” actually send guys with guns to your house? Or does it mean they send the police? If the former, have there been any cases of armed private security shooting burglars (or anyone)?
My wife’s sister had an alarm installed. One day we got a call from the company (wife is listed as the alternate number to call). They got a “door ajar” alarm and no one answered their call over the unit’s speaker, and no one keyed in the safety code. They asked us to check it out…
A police officer did meet us there but I can’t remember if we called them or the alarm company. I got there first and was peeking in the door when the fuzz arrived. I mentioned I had a permit and was carrying. He replied, “Good idea”.
They never did figure it out. The door was open a bit. I think she just didn’t pull it tight enough and the wind blew it open. Nothing about the entire operation filled me with much confidence.
On a similar note, we got a call from the guards when we were working the afternoon shift at a NASA wind tunnel. They said someone called the front gate and said he had placed a bomb in the wind tunnel (there are several at the center). They had asked the caller a few questions and since he “Didn’t seem to know what he was talking about”, they didn’t believe him and asked us to look around.
The NASA incident was in the 1970s, I’m sure it would be different today.
I’m getting used to this.
Dennis
Generally that means the alarm company has its own armed security guards who will respond.
The police responds too. And possibly a neighbor or the owner, who also could be notified if there was an alarm - one or more of those people could be armed too.
Basically the alarm system notifies the alarm company. And they can in turn notify anybody your little heart desires (and your wallet pays for).
Yeah it really depends on the alarm company. The cheaper places will just call the cops (and depending on the area the cops may or may not arrive quickly as homes with lots of false alarms get low priority) while the more expensive services do send armed security (since their entire job is to respond to alarms obviously they’d arrive much quicker than normal police)
Don’t assume that the delay is on the end of the police. In my experience you are lucky if the alarm company makes first contact with dispatch within 10 minutes of the initial alarm. It’s usually longer.