'Stranded and vulnerable': Seattle police won't respond to security alarms without 'supporting evidence'

Police in Seattle will no longer be dispatched to burglary alarms based solely on sensors or motion activators beginning next week in a move that is catching many security system companies off guard.

"Our biggest fear is that crime is going to go up, and we do not want crime to go up," Washington Alarm CEO Shannon Woodman told Fox News Digital Wednesday.

Beginning Oct. 1, the Seattle Police Department will only dispatch officers to alarm calls that come with "supporting evidence, such as audio, video, panic alarms or eyewitness evidence" that someone is breaking into a home or business, according to a letter interim police chief Sue Rahr sent to alarm companies.

"Of the 13,000 alarm calls in 2023, less than 4% were confirmed to have a crime associated with them that resulted in an arrest or reporting being written," Rahr wrote in the letter dated Sept. 13.

Seattle police officers stand near Pike Place Market in this file photo. Starting Oct. 1, officers will not be dispatched to security alarms without additional evidence like video or eyewitness statements. (Hannah Ray Lambert/Fox News Digital)

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Most calls were the result of an accidental sensor trip by a homeowner or business employee, Rahr wrote, or old or failing equipment.

"With depleted resources, we cannot prioritize a patrol response when there is a very low probability that criminal activity is taking place," Rahr continued, an apparent nod to the department's ongoing staffing shortages.

Woodman said she understands police resources are strained, but argued that requiring tens of thousands of alarm users to install costly video security systems is just not feasible, especially given the short notice. She only received the letter last week.

And around 85% of customers never have an issue with false alarms, Woodman said, pointing to industry research from major cities.

"We can't solve false alarm problems by taking police response away," she said.

Alarm companies say it would be cost prohibitive for many of their customers to install the video equipment needed to comply with the Seattle Police Department's new policy. And it would be impossible to do by next week, they said. (Photo by Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

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Woodman and several other Seattle alarm company representatives pushed back on the SPD policy change in a public safety committee meeting this week.

"Law enforcement and the security industry can work together to come up with a solution [to false alarms] that benefits our customers in a way that doesn't leave them stranded and vulnerable at the most dangerous moment," Ashley Barber told city council members Tuesday, citing her 13 years in the security industry.

Woodman said she supports policies like billing users with frequent false alarms. The national Security Industry Alarm Coalition supports verified response only for customers who "burden law enforcement with multiple false alarms," according to a report shared with Fox News Digital.

Rahr's office did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

SPD has struggled to refill its ranks after losing hundreds of officers over the past few years.

The department had nearly 1,400 officers before the pandemic, The Seattle Times reported. Staffing has since plunged to around 930 fully trained officers, despite Seattle offering the highest salary in the state.

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City councillors appear ready to approve a $50,000 bonus for experienced hires, the highest of any nearby city, the Times reported.