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Did you know that on average, a burglar spends about 8 to 12 minutes inside a home?
In some cases, if the layout is simple and the valuables are in plain sight, the entire break-in can last as little as 90 seconds!
This is why in the world of security, every second counts.
In the UK, burglars would rather spend days and sometimes a week conducting reconnaissance and studying the layout of the house and spend as little time as possible when actually robbing it.
The placement of burglar alarms inside your property, along with their capabilities to send out a confirmed signal to the authorities, is what makes or breaks the situation.
How do you get police response for a burglar alarm?
Well, the process starts with having an accredited professional installation company, like Calder Security, install the alarms around the property.
Once installed, the system is calibrated and activated and registered through the police, who issue a Unique Reference Number or URN that identifies your property in the official police database.
Read below to learn more about rapid response, URNs, and the logic behind confirmed alarms:
GETTING POLICE RESPONSE FOR A BURGLAR ALARM
A burglar alarm does not automatically mean that you will get a police response when it activates.
In most cases, the alarm will behave in three ways, depending on how it is configured:
A standalone alarm system will simply sound a siren and alert the property owner or nearby people.
A monitored alarm system will sound a siren and send out a signal to a registered Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC), who will confirm the alarm and notify the stakeholders.
A monitored and police response-ready alarm will sound the alarm, alert the ARC, and send out an immediate police response.
For a security alarm to qualify for a police response, property owners generally need to have the system installed and maintained professionally in accordance with police requirements.
After a compliant alarm is installed by an accredited installer, the property owner will have to register the alarm with an approved Alarm Receiving Centre that will monitor your property remotely.
For police responses, the system will also have to be registered with the police, who will generate a URN for the property.
So, when an intruder decides to rob your property, the alarm will send out a signal to the ARC, which will notify the police. The police will look up your property using the URN and then immediately dispatch law enforcement agents to your property.
WHY PROFESSIONAL MONITORING AND INSTALLATION IS IMPORTANT
The entire process cannot be DIY-ed because the police requirements explicitly state that the alarm must be installed by an approved professional installer and it should be monitored by an approved Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC).
The primary reason for this is that there is always the possibility of false alarms, especially if the alarm was not installed, configured, or calibrated correctly.
False alarms are a burden on local police enforcement because they unnecessarily engage police resources.
To minimise this risk, the police require that property owners follow all the compliance requirements and professional standards to avoid false flags in the system.
In fact, if your property gets three false alarms in a span of a year, the police will blacklist the URN and withdraw police response privileges for your property.
To reinstate your privileges, you would have to go through the process again and have the system installed professionally and by the required standards.
CAN YOU GET A POLICE RESPONSE WITHOUT A URN?
The Unique Reference Number (URN) is issued by the police to identify your property with a security system.
It effectively tells the police that the alarm installation is registered with them and meets all the standards and compliance requirements.
So, without a URN, the police will be unlikely to provide an immediate response.
Keep in mind that the URN is not something that you simply apply for after buying any burglar alarm.
As mentioned above, the alarm needs to go through a professional installation process and fulfil all the compliance requirements to be eligible for a URN.
The URN may also have an impact on your insurance policy.
Most insurers require property owners to have their systems installed professionally and to all the required standards, to be eligible for an insurance claim. So, if you have a URN, you can rest assured that you are covered on all fronts.
CONFIRMED VS UNCONFIRMED ALARMS
Confirmed alarm technology was put in place to reduce the risk of false alarms in the UK.
The purpose of this technology is to first confirm whether a break-in is actually happening. It differentiates between an alarm that is malfunctioning and an alarm that is working properly.
For example, a faulty alarm may flag an event unnecessarily; however, if the alarm was installed professionally, secondary alarms around the property will be used to confirm if there is a nefarious presence inside the property.
In some cases, multiple security systems such as Access Control Systems, CCTVs, and door/window alarms can also be used in conjunction with the main burglar alarm to confirm an event.
When there are multiple “hits” on the alarm system, it confirms the alarm automatically. Keep in mind that the police do not confirm the alarm. The job of confirmation falls on the Alarm Receiving Centre.
When the alarm is tripped, the professionals monitoring your property at the ARC will look for signs of multiple triggers. When the ARC approves the signal, they immediately relay it to the police, who look up your property through the URN and send out agents accordingly.
IS POLICE RESPONSE WORTH IT?
This depends on a few factors.
If your property has a lot of valuables or if you leave the premises frequently and want someone to look over your assets, then you might want to invest in a professionally installed system that offers police response.
This can also be true if your property is in a crime-prone area that sees a lot of break-ins.
In most cases, burglars tend to fully avoid properties that have visible deterrents and multiple security measures. So, there is very little downside to having a professionally installed alarm that offers police response privileges.
If you aren’t getting any break-ins, then you should know that your system is working and is protecting you and your valuables!
On average, you can expect the police to arrive at your property in about 8-10 minutes. Most property owners decide to install alarms outside of the property as well so that the police get time to arrive before the robbery even begins.
THINGS TO ASK YOUR ALARM INSTALLER
Here is a list of questions that property owners must actively ask the installer before getting the system installed.
If the installer satisfies these responses, then you should know that you are in capable hands:
Is the installer NSI or SSAIB approved?
Is the ARC appropriately certified?
Will the system be eligible for a police-response URN?
Which standards does the installation comply with?
How is the alarm confirmed before police notification?
Is single-path or dual-path signalling being used?
What happens if the primary communication path fails?
What maintenance contract is required?
What happens if the system generates false alarms?
Does the proposed system satisfy the requirements of my insurer?
Approved and accredited installers will be more than happy to answer all your queries because they follow all the compliance requirements.
Comprehensive installers, like Calder Security, can even take things up a level by not only installing the alarm professionally, but also offering professional maintenance and even monitoring services.
By getting all these services from one provider, you can be sure to get the highest level of reliability and convenience since you will not have to go through the process of finding a separate ARC and then having your property registered for a URN.
The installer will approve, maintain, and register your property on your behalf so that you don’t have to worry about anything.
ALREADY HAVE AN ALARM SYSTEM INSTALLED – WHAT DO I DO?
If you already have an alarm installed but don’t know whether it is compliant for a police response, then there are two options for you:
Getting an Assessment
Some alarm systems are really old, which means that the components will likely degrade with the passage of time. In most cases, this is not a problem because the alarm system itself is made of simple machinery.
However, older alarm systems may no longer be compliant, which can be troubling. For example, older alarm systems that work on the now-retired PSTN network will not connect to the ARC.
The alarm may appear to function normally and may even sound sirens, but it will not send a signal to the ARC – which means you will not get a police response.
This is why a professional assessment is very important. Companies like Calder Security will send out trained professionals who will go through all the details of your alarm around your property and highlight any vulnerabilities.
The UK has closed down legacy relay networks such as 3G and PSTN, with even 2G networks being phased out by 2029. Alarms that use these communication technologies will need to be either upgraded or replaced.
Replacement depends on the overall specifications of the alarm. Every alarm system has a communication module that sends the signal to the ARC.
If the module is obsolete, then the installer will simply upgrade the module to be compliant. Keep in mind that it is rare for alarms manufactured after the 2010s to be completely replaced. So, your worst-case scenario would be a minor upgrade to an already installed system.
Subscribing to an ARC
If you have a professionally installed system that is not monitored, then you will not get police response privileges.
The best way to get these privileges is to subscribe to an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC).
To do this, you will first have to call a professional installation company that will send out technicians to assess your alarm and its specifications.
If everything lines up, the installation company will offer you multiple ARC options. Companies like Calder Security will offer you their own monitoring services as well.
These monitoring stations are approved by the police, which means that your property will be listed as compliant and a URN will be generated, granting you these privileges.
MONITORING COSTS IN THE UK
Alarm monitoring is an added feature that has separate costs.
Even if you buy an alarm system, do not expect it to automatically be registered or monitored via an ARC.
As mentioned above, the installer will outline the scope of work and highlight whether it involves just the installation or installation + monitoring.
The monitoring fee varies depending on the type of property and its location, but on average you can expect the following costs:
Monthly Subscription
£25 – £55 / month – Residential Properties
£50 – £80+ / month – Commercial Properties
Please note that not every alarm system is built for monitoring. This is why the alarm must be approved for monitoring and have certain features such as dual-path signalling (broadband + 4G cellular backup).
Apart from the monitoring costs, you will also have to pay a one-off fee for police privileges as well. The fee is mostly related to the URN number, and you will not be charged for every visit by the police officers.
Police URN Fee
£54.79 (one-off) – Residential/Commercial Properties
This mandatory fee (£45.66 + VAT) is charged by the police to issue a Unique Reference Number (URN).
COMMON SECURITY BREACHES AND HOW LONG THEY TAKE
If you still aren’t convinced about getting your property professionally monitored, then here are a few reasons to change your mind:
Unauthorised Access
Unauthorised access is when someone who is not allowed to enter your property or a part of it gains access to it.
With a monitored alarm, your system will automatically flag unwanted people on your property and report it to the ARC, who will take the appropriate action.
This allows you to stop criminals before they even approach your valuables and allows police enough time to get to your property before the robbery even begins.
Theft
Theft and burglary are two very common security issues faced by almost all businesses and some residential properties. Criminals aim to steal equipment such as computers, laptops, and valuable assets within a set timeframe and often leave the place ransacked because they leave in such a hurry.
Most theft takes place in the late evening to early morning hours, between 6 pm and 6 am, so that is the time you are most likely to see an increase in criminal activity around your property. By having a monitored system, you will not have to be on the lookout at odd times and have peace of mind knowing that your property is protected 24/7.
Vandalism
Vandalism refers to the destruction of business property and equipment, which is mostly deliberate.
Vandals take more time than usual and can spend about 30 minutes on a property or just outside of it.
A monitored alarm system can not only stop vandals from destroying your property, but it can deter them and have police apprehend them.
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CONTACT CALDER SECURITY
At Calder Security, we provide a comprehensive range of security solutions that include not just professional installation but also monitoring, maintenance, and repair services.
We are members of the Master Locksmith Association (MLA), approved members of the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB), and also conform to all the relevant British and EU Standards. We follow all the best practices in the industry and install only high-quality, state-of-the-art security systems.
We offer various levels of monitoring via a 24-hour monitoring centre manned by security professionals who perform checks to confirm the alarm, notify the keyholder(s) and, if appropriate, alert the police.
We understand the importance of regularly maintaining security systems since the inability to do so might result in serious faults and consequent vulnerabilities in your property’s security.
We provide professional maintenance checks and reminders for when the checks are due to help you stay compliant with the law and work fast to restore your security systems to excellent condition.
We offer a 24-hour call-out service for customers and can also repair systems not installed by us. Our engineers are highly skilled and can restore faulty systems to full working order in one visit.
Want police response on your burglar alarm? We’ll check URN eligibility, ARC monitoring, and the signalling grade your insurer expects. Contact us here or call 0800 612 9799 for a free assessment.
Related reading: BT Redcare closure guide · Single-path vs dual-path signalling · Monitored alarms without a landline · PSTN switch-off checklist · Burglar alarm services
Contact us here or call us at 0800 612 9799 to talk to our experts for more information on how to get police response for a burglar alarm.
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