APPENDIX A
Guidance Notes to ACPO Security Systems Policy in the MPS
Introduction
The Metropolitan Police Service has adopted the ACPO Security Systems
Policy 2004 (
Amended January 2010
). Appendix A in the policy document is
Force Area specific. The following pages are the Appendix A for the
Metropolitan Police Service and contain information for installing,
maintaining and monitoring companies, as well as system holders in the
MPS Area. Appendix A offers guidance on the approach taken by the MPS.
All Appendices referred to in Appendix A are documents contained in the
ACPO Security Systems Policy 2004 (Revised
2010
).
The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) of England, Wales and Northern
Ireland recognise the rapid development of technology and its use within security
systems. This policy details the police response, which can be expected to an
electronic security system, which is identified in the ACPO "Requirements for
Security System Services".
To enable a security system to be recognised within the ACPO Requirements for
Security Services it must comply with the ACPO Policy on Response to Security
Systems and a recognised standard or code of practice controlling manufacture,
installation, maintenance and operation. Such standards must be in the public
domain and not be product based.
The installation and services provided by the installing / maintaining company
and an alarm receiving centre/monitoring centre, shall be certified by a UKAS
accredited certification body in accordance with the provisions of the ACPO
Requirements for Security Services.
It should be noted that police response is ultimately determined by the nature of
demand, priorities and resources that exist at the time a request for police
response is received.
.
Full Policy:
Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, New Scotland Yard, Broadway, London, SW1H 0BG
The Metropolitan Police Service has adopted the ACPO Security Systems Policy. The following variations permitted under the terms of the policy apply in the MPS area
1. Automatic 999 dialling alarm equipment is not permitted.
2. All alarm activations from monitored systems must be transmitted to our Command and Control Centres on the dedicated telephone lines (supplied to new ARC’s on receipt of a signed Appendix B) OR through our Common Data Interface direct to the relevant Borough Control Room.
3. The Metropolitan Police Service will give a Level 1 response to alarm calls. This response is subject to the systems status at the time of the alarm activation and the availability of police resources at the time of the call. {Due to false alarm threshold changes Level 2 response no longer applies. Level 3 is ‘no response’ due to the system having exceeded the relevant false alarm threshold i.e. the system is ‘banned’}.
4. Any correspondence, with the exception of reinstatement applications, should be addressed to: MPS Security System Unit ( SSU Admin or SSU Technical)
Room 285v, New Scotland Yard Broadway
London SW1H 0BG.
Where appropriate, the Unique Reference Number (URN) must be quoted in all correspondence. In the interests of maintaining the security of our records all enquires concerning individual security systems must be made in writing or by e-mail to: [email protected]
FALSE ALARM THRESHOLDS
5. Any change in threshold is determined by the amount of false calls received by the MPS from an individual security system within a rolling 12-month period.
Intruder Alarms & CCTV
5a. Following 3 false calls within any 12-month period, the Security Systems Unit (SSU) will issue a letter to the alarm subscriber advising them of their reduction to Level 3 police response. A copy will also be sent to the alarm maintaining company who should then inform the monitoring
company that any further alarm activations from this facility must NOT be passed to request a police response.
Personal Attack Alarms
5b. Following 2 false calls within any 12-month period the SSU (A) will issue a letter to the alarm subscriber advising them of their reduction to Level 3 police response. A copy will also be sent to the alarm maintaining company who should then inform the monitoring company that any further alarm activations from this facility must NOT be passed to request a police response.
APPENDICES
APPENDIX C
6. Companies applying for inclusion on the MPS compliant list of installing, maintaining and monitoring companies must include a completed Appendix C for all staff, including directors, whose duties include surveying, sales, installation, maintenance, administration or monitoring of security systems.
6a. Appendix C must be submitted by companies on the compliant list for job applicants whose duties include surveying, sales, installation, maintenance, administration or monitoring of security systems.
6b. Applicants for jobs whose duties would include surveying, sales, installation, maintenance, administration or monitoring of security systems who have not been permanent residents in the UK for a period of 5 years going back from the date of their application must provide a proof of their criminal record history from their embassy or consulate.
APPENDIX D
7. Any company installing or maintaining remote signalling security systems will be monitored over a calendar month using police statistics.
APPENDIX E
8. The administration fee for the issue of a new Unique Reference Number is £41.38 + VAT, (£48.62 includes VAT at 17.5%). Payment must be made by cheque or postal order and should be made payable to the Metropolitan Police Authority. An individual cheque is required for each application, however companies may be invoiced monthly by prior arrangement with the MPS Security Systems Unit Admin Manager.
APPENDIX F
9. Applications must be completed by downloading the APPENDIX F form from the ACPO CPI website www.securedbydesign.com/professionals/pdfs/ssgpolicy.pdf. The form can then be completed by use of the “drop-down” options by completing the following steps:
1. Save the policy to the directory of your choice on your computer. 2. Re-open the ACPO policy from this directory.
3. Go to View/Toolbars/Forms.
4. Click on the Protect Form symbol (padlock symbol). 5. The drop-down menus will now work.
6. Complete the form, print it and save the file if necessary.
9a. Any problems in the operation or use of this website should be reported to ACPO and NOT the Metropolitan Police Service. (ACPO - 0207-084-8950).
9b. Any “notice of intention to install” a security system or “variation” in subscriber name that is sent to the SSU (Admin) must include the Appendix G ‘Hazard and Sites Risks’ form and the appropriate fee and/or SSU (Technical) letter.
APPENDIX G – Hazards & Sites Risk Form
10. This appendix must be used in conjunction with Appendix F. Failure to comply will result in an application being rejected under the Health and Safety Act.
ADMINISTRATION FEES
11. The MPS currently charges for three types of application.
(1) When a new URN is issued as a result of an application from an installing company. (2) When a new URN is issued to replace a banned or deleted URN.
(3) When a name change is made to an existing URN.
11a. Should a company change it’s trading name the maintaining company will have to submit an Appendix F (as a variation) together with the £48.62 fee. Alternatively, in lieu of payment, they may submit a letter from Companies House showing the registration of the new trading name. 11b. Changes of name due to marriage will be treated as a variation but will not incur the £48.62 fee if a copy of the official marriage certificate accompanies the appendix F.
11c. There is no charge for voluntarily upgrading to a ‘confirmed’ system. However, this does not apply to URN’s that are already, or due to be, banned or deleted
11d. A change of monitoring centre (ARC) no longer requires the re-issue of a Unique Reference Number. A variation on an Appendix F form will still be required but there will not be a charge for this service.
REINSTATEMENTS
12. To view the Reinstatement Matrix please copy and paste the following link into your web browser.
http://www.met.police.uk/alarms/docs/reinstatement_matrix.xls.
This document provides information on the conditions that each URN prefix must adhere to in order for the police response to be reinstated.
INTRUDER ALARMS & CCTV.
13. The maintaining company must supply full details of the causes of the previous activations, and the remedial action taken, in writing, to;
Security Systems Unit (Technical), Room 286v, New Scotland Yard, Broadway, London, SW1H 0BG. Email: [email protected]
13a. Applications for reinstatement must be sent on the form shown at “Appendix F – Annex A” of the ACPO Policy.
13b. Any security system that is not capable of passing “confirmed” signals must be upgraded to the standard shown on the Reinstatement Matrix.
13c. When the maintaining company submit their report they may also enclose the necessary Appendix F, Appendix G and £48.62 administration fee for their subscriber. Once the Security Systems Unit [Technical] (SSU T) have approved the reinstatement the Security Systems Unit Admin (SSU A) will process the application, thereby reducing the timescale for the new URN to be issued.
13d. When a request for reinstatement is approved, but not accompanied by the appropriate forms, the SSU T will write to the maintaining company to notify them of their decision. The maintaining company must then submit an application for a new URN to the SSU A, together with the original copy of the SSU T letter and, if requested on the SSU T letter, the £48.62
administration fee.
13e. If the security system does not qualify for reinstatement, or reinstatement is not applied for, the URN will remain on our database but will not receive any form of police response to the facility that has been withdrawn until it meets with the required standard.
13f. Security systems that were deleted prior to April 2006 cannot be reinstated and the installing company must apply for a new URN under the terms of paragraph 12b. The installing company must have applied to, and have the written authority of, the SSU T before making the application to the SSU A.
13g. A technical inspection may also be required before the reinstatement is approved. PERSONAL ATTACK ALARMS.
14. Please note that there is no requirement for the PA facility of the security system to be upgraded to pass confirmed activations. However, “PA intervention” is required for systems on Level 3 response before they can be re-instated to Level 1.
14a. The maintaining company must supply full details of the causes of the previous activations, and the remedial action taken, in writing, to:
MPS Security Systems Unit [Technical], Room 286v, New Scotland Yard, Broadway, London, SW1H 0BG. Email: [email protected]
14b. Applications for reinstatement must be sent on the form shown at “Appendix F – Annex B” of the ACPO Policy.
POLICY INFORMATION
15. Companies applying for inclusion on the MPS compliant list of installing, maintaining and monitoring companies must include the following documents:
(i) Appendix B
(ii) Appendix C – see notes above under Appendix C
(iii) A certificate of registration from a recognized Inspectorate (currently SSAIB or NSI) 16. Where an installing company loses police recognition for non-compliance or poor
performance (procedure under Appendix J of ACPO Policy applies) paragraph 2.3.1 of the ACPO Security Systems Policy will be invoked, the SSI will write to the installing company to ascertain the status of their existing subscribers. The subscriber will have 3 months to make alternative maintenance/monitoring arrangements. In the absence of any notification of an acceptable maintenance/monitoring company the system will be deleted without further notification.
17. An audible bell delay, paragraph 7, of the ACPO Security Systems Policy is not imposed. 18. The procedures under Appendix C have been adopted. Form A includes an indemnity to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.
19. Where an installing company loses the contract to maintain and/or monitor a security system they are required to disclose the URN(s) to the company taking over the system. Any company that does not comply with this reciprocal agreement will be reported to the governing body of the security industry and have their installer status temporarily removed until they do so.
20. Any installing company that assumes responsibility for an existing URN must notify the SSU A via an Appendix F, within 28 days of the takeover. If we do not receive any notification within this time we will delete the URN on receipt of the Appendix F from the previous alarm company. 21. If the new maintaining company cannot provide the SSU A with the existing URN they must submit a request for a new URN. This system must also be installed to the current standards. The SSU A will no longer carry out searches for existing URN’s.
22. Appendices K, L, M, N, O, P & Q will be produced in the format and with the content traditionally used in the MPS.
23. Please note that the London Local Authorities Act 1991 was repealed in April 2006. The Cleaner Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 requires the Local Authority to send a notice to addresses of premises in their area if they decide to designate an area as an alarm notification area. Full information must be sought from Local Authorities.
The Metropolitan Police Service no longer maintains a keyholder database and the SSU A will not deal with enquiries of this nature.
24. The ACPO Security Systems Policy 2004 (Revised January 2010) and notes
of guidance can be accessed at: www.securedbydesign.com/professionals/pdfs/ssgpolicy.pdf From here you should access and download the document entitled “Security Systems; Police response to”.
25. Revision dates may alter, however the Policy shown will be the latest edition. Last Revision 01/2010 MPS (http://www.met.police.uk).
