NPCC Security Systems Policy

Security systems are one of the many essential tools in the fight against crime and in particular burglary, theft and robbery.

Police CPI provide the Secretariat to the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Security Systems Group to monitor police strategies and technical developments and advise on policy requirements. Police CPI also provide support to police forces and the private security industry on the administration of police response to security systems, including intruder alarms.

Police CPI work with the national alarm inspectorate bodies and trade organisations for the security industry – the National Security Inspectorate (NSI), the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB), the Fire and Security Association (FSA) and the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) – to develop a partnership approach with the private security industry, specifically to improve the performance of security systems and increase the preventative impact and detection rate emanating from such systems.

Due to Police CPI’s technical intervention and the unified approach by Police Forces, there have been over one million fewer calls to police per annum to respond to false alarms or alarms involving faulty equipment, reducing from 1,188,386 in 1995 to 106,374 in 2019. When set against a backdrop of an increase of 796,078 registered alarms in 1995 to 1,435,171 in 2018, this represents a significant reduction in demand on Police Forces.  The number of burglaries from properties with police compliant security systems also reduced significantly from 135,990 in 1995 to 14,402 in 2019.

Secured by Design has now created an SBD Alarm Standard for alarm installation companies. Installers meeting the SBD Alarm Standard now have the option of joining this SBD scheme, following an assessment from their respective Alarm Inspectorate body, enabling buyers to have confidence in installers utilising the trusted ‘Police Preferred Specification’ branding. The new Alarm Standard seeks to achieve further reduction in the number of false alarm calls, with a corresponding reduction in demand on Forces.

For further information contact Michael Brooke