More use of security systems brings rise in false alarms, so Bend police will have companies verify them first

Stats show very few are crimes, even fewer burglaries

(Update: Adding video and comments from the founder of Innovate, Security for Life)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- With a rising number of home and business security systems comes an increasing problem of false alarms. So Bend police are shifting their system to put the onus on alarm companies to first verify the alarm isn't in error before responding.

Police notified area alarm companies this spring that as of July, they will be responsible for first verifying those alarm calls before notifying the police, as the vast majority are false alarms or don't result in a crime report.

Police confirmed that there were more than 10,000 alarm calls over a recent 4-year period, and only about 75 led to police reports, and only one-third of those were for burglaries.

I asked Graham Hausler, the founder of Innovate, Security for Life, what he thinks about the new role the company needs to take on.

"I think it's probably something that's necessary," Hausler said Thursday. "I think a lot of accounts are set up without the proper protocols in place to make sure there aren't false alarms -- call lists being accurate and the system being set up properly, so I don't really have a problem with it. I know it's another step in the process."

Hausler said he doesn't want false alarms, but they're happening and need to be addressed.

"The alarm industry in general doesn't want false alarms," Hausler said. "That's not what we want at all. We're looking to serve a purpose -- to protect people from break-ins, life-threatening events ... We're on the same page -- we don't want false alarms. We want to make sure that if the police are being dispatched for the wrong reasons, then it needs to be addressed."