Do Police Respond to Burglar Alarms? Verified Response Rules
Usually, but not everywhere. Many police departments still dispatch to monitored burglar alarms, but some require proof first. Seattle has dispatched only on audio, video, panic or eyewitness evidence since October 1, 2024, and Milwaukee has required a private guard to verify alarms since 2004. Others stop responding after repeated false alarms or to unpermitted systems.
Figures researched 2026-10-01; each source below carries its access date. Prices change; treat any price here as "as of" its date.
Why do some police departments stop responding to alarms?
Because almost all burglar alarm calls turn out to be false, and each one still ties up a patrol unit. The departments that have changed policy publish their own numbers:
| Department | What it reports |
|---|---|
| Seattle | About 13,000 burglary alarm calls from monitoring companies in 2023; fewer than 4% were confirmed to involve a crime that led to an arrest or a report |
| Milwaukee | About 30,000 burglar alarms a year before 2004, 97% of them false |
| Richmond County, Georgia (Sheriff) | About 20,000 burglar alarm responses a year, 98.9% of them false |
| Los Angeles | 6,000 to 7,000 alarm calls a month, over 90% false |
With numbers like these, departments have three levers: refuse unverified alarms outright (verified response), refuse alarms from sites with too many false alarms or no permit (non-response), or keep responding but charge for false alarms. Most cities use the last two. A few use the first.
Which places require verification before police respond?
Verified response means the alarm has to be confirmed by something other than a sensor before police are sent. Policies we confirmed on official pages as of October 2026:
| Jurisdiction | Policy | What counts as verification | Panic and duress alarms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | Since October 1, 2024, SPD dispatches to alarm company calls only with supporting evidence and no longer responds to sensor or motion activations alone | Audio, video, panic alarm, or eyewitness evidence of someone entering or trying to enter | Panic alarms count as evidence |
| Milwaukee, WI | Since September 19, 2004, MPD does not respond to a burglar alarm unless it is first verified by a licensed Private First Responder Service | A guard contracted by your alarm company confirms a crime or attempted crime | MPD does not respond to panic alarms, which are a prohibited system in the city |
| Richmond County, GA | Sheriff's Office uses a Verified Response procedure for burglar alarms | Visual or audible confirmation by the user on site or via audio/video equipment, audio/video from a monitored system, or an eyewitness | Panic, duress and robbery alarms still get a response at the highest priority |
The Milwaukee model has a practical consequence: your alarm company has to contract a guard service, and the city tells residents to ask a salesperson which private responder will come to their address. Providers have adapted to these rules. Ring's support documentation says that in some areas police and fire departments require certain signals to be verified before responders can be dispatched, and Ring offers Guard Response, which sends a guard to verify an emergency when the system is triggered. How those work is covered in video verification explained.
What about cities that still respond?
Most still do, but with conditions. Two examples from official sources:
Houston: HPD's general order on burglar, holdup and panic alarms states that city ordinances require every alarm system to have a permit, and that dispatchers "shall not dispatch a patrol officer to a non-permitted alarm solely for the reason that their alarm went off" when the owner is not on site. A burglar alarm with eight or more false alarms in the preceding 12 months has its permit revoked and may be placed in "do not respond" status. Holdup and panic alarms get a police response regardless of permit status, and an alarm reported by a person rather than an alarm company always gets an officer.
Los Angeles: an alarm permit is required by law ($60 initial, $31 annual renewal), and false alarms are billed on an escalating scale. As of October 2026, the city lists $260 for a first false alarm with a permit and $360 without one, rising to $410 and $660 from the fourth.
Seattle bills the monitoring company rather than the homeowner: $115 per false burglar alarm and $230 per false panic, duress or robbery alarm when SPD is dispatched and arrives, or $30 if the dispatch is cancelled before arrival. The city says companies may pass these fees on to customers.
Across all of these, a permit, a low false-alarm count and some form of verification are what keep you on the response list. Permit rules by city are in alarm permits explained.
What should you ask a monitoring provider about police response?
A monitored alarm still does its main job everywhere: a staffed center tries to reach you and requests help. The steps are laid out in what happens when your alarm goes off. What changes is what the center can send and what it needs to send it.
If you live somewhere with a verified response or non-response policy, ask any provider you are considering three questions: Can your center verify with video or audio from my cameras? Do you contract a guard service in my area, and is there a per-dispatch fee? Do you register my permit or do I? Brinks Home's own fee page, for example, lists guard response fees of $50 to $85 per dispatch when a verified alarm goes to a third-party guard.
Published figures on how fast police arrive after a verified alarm are scarce; our alarm monitoring response times page collects only the figures companies publish. If you want quotes from providers that can explain how they handle your city's rules, our questionnaire at /quote fetches quotes from professional monitoring providers. For whether monitoring is worth paying for at all, see is professional monitoring worth it.
Frequently asked questions
- Will police come if my burglar alarm goes off and no one calls 911?
- With professional monitoring, in most places the monitoring center requests dispatch after trying to reach you. In verified response cities such as Seattle and Milwaukee, a sensor trip alone is not enough; the center needs video, audio, a guard or an eyewitness. With a self-monitored system, no one requests police unless you call.
- Do police respond to panic buttons?
- Usually, and usually faster. Richmond County, Georgia gives panic, duress and robbery alarms the highest priority even though it requires verification for burglar alarms, and Houston responds to holdup and panic alarms regardless of permit status. Milwaukee is the exception we found: its police do not respond to panic alarms at all.
- Can a neighbor verify my alarm?
- Where verification is required, an eyewitness generally counts. Richmond County's Sheriff states that anyone who can see an intruder can call 911 and report a burglary in progress, and Seattle lists eyewitness evidence as acceptable supporting evidence.
- How do I find out my city's alarm response policy?
- Search your police department's site for its alarm or false alarm page, or the city code section on alarm systems. Those pages state whether a permit is required, how many false alarms trigger fines or non-response, and whether verification is required.
Sources
- Seattle: since October 1, 2024 SPD dispatches to alarm company calls only with supporting evidence (audio, video, panic alarms or eyewitness evidence) and not on sensor or motion alone; about 13,000 alarm calls in 2023 with less than 4% confirmed crime; false alarm fees $115 burglar, $230 panic/duress/robbery, $30 if cancelled before arrival, billed to monitoring companies who may pass them on: https://www.seattle.gov/business-regulations/alarm-system-monitoring (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Milwaukee: Verified Response policy since September 19, 2004, requiring verification by a licensed Private First Responder Service; about 30,000 burglar alarms a year, 97% false, before the policy; MPD does not respond to panic alarms (prohibited system): https://city.milwaukee.gov/police/Information-Services/Burglar-Alarm-Policy (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Richmond County Sheriff's Office: Verified Response for burglar alarms; about 20,000 burglar alarms a year, 98.9% false; verification definition; panic, duress and robbery alarms still answered at highest priority; anyone who sees an intruder can call 911: https://www.richmondcountysheriffsoffice.com/verified-response-procedure.cfm (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Houston HPD General Order 600-31: permits required; no patrol dispatch to non-permitted alarm solely because it went off without owner on site; 8 or more false burglar alarms in the preceding 12 months: permit shall be revoked and may be placed in do-not-respond status; holdup and panic alarms answered regardless of permit; alarms reported by an individual always get an officer: https://www.houstontx.gov/police/general_orders/600/600-31%20Burglar,%20Holdup,%20and%20Panic%20Alarms.pdf (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Los Angeles: alarm permit required; $60 initial, $31 renewal; 6,000 to 7,000 alarm calls monthly, over 90% false; false alarm fees $260/$310/$360/$410 with permit and $360/$460/$560/$660 without: https://finance.lacity.gov/tax-education/permits/police-permits/alarm-permits (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Ring: in some areas police and fire departments require certain signals to be verified before emergency responders can be dispatched; Guard Response sends a guard to verify: https://ring.com/support/articles/7hiub/Ring-Alarm-Professional-Monitoring-Emergency-Response (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Brinks Home guard response fee typically $50 to $85 per dispatch when a verified burglary alarm goes to a third-party guard: https://brinkshome.com/help-center/articles/Understanding_Your_BrinksHome_Fees (accessed 2026-10-01)
Related guides
- What Happens When Your Alarm Goes Off? The step-by-step sequence after a home alarm triggers: sirens, monitoring center calls, verbal passwords, and when police get dispatched, per provider docs.
- When Do Most Burglaries Happen? What the Dated US Data Shows The daytime burglary finding is real but old. The national US timing evidence dates to the 1990s, and here is exactly what it does and does not support.
- Alarm Permits Explained: Who Needs One and What They Cost Many US cities require a permit to operate a home alarm system. What permits cost, who is exempt, and what happens without one, from official city pages.
- Are Home Security Systems Tax Deductible? For a personal home, no. With a qualifying home office, the IRS lets you deduct the business share of monitoring costs. What Pub 587 and Pub 530 actually say.
- Can Security Cameras Be Hacked? Published Incidents by Brand Documented camera security incidents and settlements by brand, from regulators and company statements, plus settings that reduce risk.