If your Seattle business relies on a traditional alarm system for security, there's something you need to know: Seattle Police Department will not respond to your alarm unless there is verified visual or audio evidence of an actual crime in progress.
This isn't a rumor or a future plan. It's current SPD policy. And it means that the alarm system you're paying for every month may not actually bring police when you need them most.
SPD does not respond to alarm calls based on sensor or motion activations alone. Alarm signals, open doors, or open windows are not considered valid reasons for dispatch.
What Does SPD's Policy Actually Say?
According to SPD's official Monitored Alarms page, police respond to alarm calls only when there is evidence of a crime in-progress. That evidence must come from one of these sources:
- Video verification — Live camera footage showing criminal activity
- Audio verification — Live audio of a break-in or confrontation
- Panic/duress alarm — Manually triggered by a person in danger
- Eyewitness confirmation — Someone physically observing an illegal entry attempt
That's it. If your alarm company can only tell SPD "the motion sensor tripped" or "a door contact was triggered," police will not be dispatched.
Why Did Seattle Make This Change?
The numbers tell the story:
With SPD already stretched thin across the city, responding to over 12,000 false alarm calls a year was unsustainable. The department made a practical decision: only respond when there's real evidence something is happening.
This aligns with a nationwide trend. Cities across the country have adopted similar "verified response" policies because traditional alarm systems simply generate too many false positives to be useful for police resource allocation.
What This Means for Your Business
If you have a standard alarm system—the kind with door/window sensors and motion detectors—here's what happens during a break-in:
- Your alarm triggers
- Your alarm company calls SPD
- SPD asks: "Do you have video or audio verification?"
- Your alarm company says: "No, just a sensor activation"
- SPD does not dispatch officers
Your alarm goes off. Nobody comes. The criminal has all the time they need.
The False Alarm Fee Problem
It gets worse. If your alarm company does somehow trigger a police response and it turns out to be a false alarm, here are the fees:
- $115 per false burglar alarm
- $230 per false panic/duress alarm
- $30 if canceled after dispatch but before arrival
So you're paying monthly for a system that either won't bring police, or will cost you additional fees when it does.
The Solution: Cameras with Live Monitoring
SPD's policy has a clear path to guaranteed police response: visual verification. If a live guard is watching your cameras and can confirm criminal activity to dispatch, police respond immediately.
This is exactly how our Deep Sentinel systems work:
- AI detects a threat — The camera's onboard AI identifies suspicious activity (a person approaching, trying doors, cutting fences)
- Live guard engages in under 10 seconds — A real security professional is watching and assessing the situation
- Guard intervenes directly — Two-way audio warns the intruder they're being watched and recorded
- Police dispatched with video evidence — If the threat continues, the guard calls SPD with live visual verification—exactly what the policy requires
With live monitored cameras, your system provides exactly what SPD requires for dispatch: real-time visual confirmation of criminal activity. No more hoping police show up. No more paying for a system that can't actually protect you.
Traditional Alarms vs. Live Monitored Cameras
| Traditional Alarm | Live Monitored Cameras | |
|---|---|---|
| SPD Response | Not dispatched (no verification) | Dispatched with video proof |
| Detection | After break-in (door/window opened) | Before break-in (perimeter approach) |
| Deterrence | Noise only (easily ignored) | Live voice warning + recording |
| False Alarm Rate | 96% (SPD data) | Near zero (human verified) |
| Evidence | None (just sensor log) | HD video for prosecution |
What Should Seattle Business Owners Do?
If you're relying on a traditional alarm system to protect your Seattle business, it's time to reassess. Here's what we recommend:
- Check your current system — Does it provide visual verification to your alarm company? If not, SPD won't respond to sensor-only alerts.
- Ask your alarm company — "If my alarm goes off tonight, will SPD actually show up?" If they can't guarantee visual verification, you have a gap.
- Consider live monitored cameras — The only reliable way to ensure police response under SPD's current policy is to provide the video evidence they require.
Is Your Business Actually Protected?
Get a free security assessment to find out if your current system meets SPD's verification requirements—and what it would take to close any gaps.
(425) 230-4146