January 6, 2011
*****************
************
More issues raised by CSAA members
**********
Comments
**********
We just learned that the city of Milwaukee, WI has an ordinance stating that silent panic/duress alarms are illegal in their city and that the police will not respond to them. I am wondering how banks and financial institutions in Milwaukee are handling this. Any suggestions?
********
We have no problem's with dispatching hold up alarms to commercial accounts in the City of Milwaukee, they allow us that. We have an excellent working relationship with the Dept and it may also help that my Central Station is located in the City. We CANNOT however under any circumstances dispatch a hold up signal from a residence or a duress signal from any account.
**********
The county of St. Clair in Illinois is doing major cutbacks and is considering no response to property crimes including security alarms and will be making a decision in early January 2011. John Butler called them on behalf of the Alarm Association of Greater St. Louis this morning and they did indeed confirm that this is their plan.
***********
Response:
**********
One of the most important functions that government provides is protection of its citizens. Police and fire department services are not considered an optional municipal service, but an essential service. I find it difficult to understand how those that govern can refuse this essential service, and why the governed accept that decision. It's early in the year, so maybe some municipalities still have time to adjust their budgets. Before they reduce or terminate police and fire department services, including responding to alarm conditions, I have some suggestions for other non essential cuts. Hopefully the governed will wake up, before it's their house that's burglarized or burns down.
So here's a few suggestions:
Reduce salaries of all elected and appointed public officials to minimum wage. Don't worry, they won't quit.
Cut jobs of relatives of elected officials, no matter how good they are. Don't replace those workers. Let other existing workers handle the additional load.
Cut rent to zero for any buildings rented by municipalities where any elected official or any family member of an elected official owns the property or collects any part of the rent.
Cancel all insurance purchased by the municipality where the insurance broker is an elected official or any family member owns or works for the broker. Get the insurance elsewhere.
Check all municipal contracts for services or supplies. Cancel every one that is with an elected official or any family member.
Prohibit any over time by public employees, especially if they are within retirement age.
Investigate every public employee out on disability to make sure they are truly disabled.
Get rid of all unnecessary expenses. Prohibit the expense of changing signs with elected officials names on them as they are elected. Names of public places don't change, elected officials do.
Maybe with all these suggestions the elected officials can come up with better ideas how to fund proper police and fire response, even when called in by a central station.