10.24.23 – Greater/ Grand Sudbury Police
As of January 1, 2024, the Greater Sudbury Police Service will be joining many other police services in the province by launching a Verified Security Alarm Response Program (VSARP).
This will require Alarm Monitoring Services to verify any alarm signal they receive prior to notifying police. Verifying an alarm signal prior to calling police will also be required by home and business owners for residential and business alarms.
GSPS is adopting a VSARP to improve service delivery to residents and business owners of the City of Greater Sudbury, and to decrease the time spent responding to false alarms, as we continue to effectively and efficiently deploy resources.
To dispatch police, alarm monitoring services will have to verify that a criminal offence has occurred or is occurring or that there is imminent threat to personal safety, medical or fire emergency through a verified response such as:
- Audio signal (confirmation of criminal activity by sounds detected within premises);
- Video signal (confirmation of criminal activity through visual images);
- On-scene witnesses (who can confirm existence of suspected criminal activity); and/or
- Multiple alarm activation points (at least two separate/different sensors in a manner or sequence which indicates suspected criminal activity is or has taken place).
Greater Sudbury Police will not dispatch officers to any alarm that has not been verified under the Verified Security Alarm Response Program (VSARP) and will not dispatch officers to any alarm that is communicated via an automatic dialing device.
If a panic, hold-up or duress alarm is received, officers will be dispatched. Verification for these types of alarms is not required.
Verified alarm activations are treated as high priority calls for service. Police response is determined by the nature of demand, priorities and resources available at the time of the request for police response.
As of January 1, 2024, we will now be billing the alarm monitoring services instead of the property owners. Additionally, we will now be charging a partial fee (Cancelled Accepted False Alarm) for alarm calls that are cancelled after officers have been dispatched but have not yet arrived on scene.
The Greater Sudbury Police Service deals directly with alarm monitoring services regarding alarm management. Officers will respond to all alarm calls placed by alarm monitoring services once there has been verification of criminal activity, medical or fire emergency. Please ensure that your information is current with your alarm monitoring service.
As part of the new program, there will no longer be an annual fee for registration. However, as of January 1, 2024, a new fee schedule will apply as follows:
False alarm – $160.00 + HST
Cancelled accepted false alarm – $80.00 + HST