West
'Stranded and vulnerable': Seattle police won't respond to security alarms without 'supporting evidence'
Police in Seattle will no longer be dispatched to burglary alarms based solely on sensors or motion activators beginning next week in a move that is catching many security system companies off guard.
“Our biggest fear is that crime is going to go up, and we do not want crime to go up,” Washington Alarm CEO Shannon Woodman told Fox News Digital Wednesday.
Beginning Oct. 1, the Seattle Police Department will only dispatch officers to alarm calls that come with “supporting evidence, such as audio, video, panic alarms or eyewitness evidence” that someone is breaking into a home or business, according to a letter interim police chief Sue Rahr sent to alarm companies.
“Of the 13,000 alarm calls in 2023, less than 4% were confirmed to have a crime associated with them that resulted in an arrest or reporting being written,” Rahr wrote in the letter dated Sept. 13.
Seattle police officers stand near Pike Place Market in this file photo. Starting Oct. 1, officers will not be dispatched to security alarms without additional evidence like video or eyewitness statements. (Hannah Ray Lambert/Fox News Digital)
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Most calls were the result of an accidental sensor trip by a homeowner or business employee, Rahr wrote, or old or failing equipment.
“With depleted resources, we cannot prioritize a patrol response when there is a very low probability that criminal activity is taking place,” Rahr continued, an apparent nod to the department’s ongoing staffing shortages.
Woodman said she understands police resources are strained, but argued that requiring tens of thousands of alarm users to install costly video security systems is just not feasible, especially given the short notice. She only received the letter last week.
And around 85% of customers never have an issue with false alarms, Woodman said, pointing to industry research from major cities.
“We can’t solve false alarm problems by taking police response away,” she said.
Alarm companies say it would be cost prohibitive for many of their customers to install the video equipment needed to comply with the Seattle Police Department’s new policy. And it would be impossible to do by next week, they said. (Photo by Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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Woodman and several other Seattle alarm company representatives pushed back on the SPD policy change in a public safety committee meeting this week.
“Law enforcement and the security industry can work together to come up with a solution [to false alarms] that benefits our customers in a way that doesn’t leave them stranded and vulnerable at the most dangerous moment,” Ashley Barber told city council members Tuesday, citing her 13 years in the security industry.
Woodman said she supports policies like billing users with frequent false alarms. The national Security Industry Alarm Coalition supports verified response only for customers who “burden law enforcement with multiple false alarms,” according to a report shared with Fox News Digital.
Rahr’s office did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
SPD has struggled to refill its ranks after losing hundreds of officers over the past few years.
The department had nearly 1,400 officers before the pandemic, The Seattle Times reported. Staffing has since plunged to around 930 fully trained officers, despite Seattle offering the highest salary in the state.
City councillors appear ready to approve a $50,000 bonus for experienced hires, the highest of any nearby city, the Times reported.
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The Denver Broncos’ 2026 schedule has arrived, with nine games on the road and eight games set for Empower Field at Mile High this season.
The Broncos are set to travel 19,129 miles this year, which ranks 15th in the NFL, according to Bill Speros of Bookies.com. Denver does not have an international game this year, which helped them rank near the middle of the pack in travel. Last season, the Broncos played in London and logged 23,267 travel miles, seventh-most in the league.
Elsewhere in the AFC West, the Los Angeles Chargers will travel 24,816 miles (seventh-most), the Las Vegas Raiders will trek 21,099 miles (13th-most) and the Kansas City Chiefs will log 18,401 miles (17th-most) in 2026.
The San Francisco 49ers (38,105) and Los Angeles Rams (34,847) are set to face off in Australia, giving them by far the most travel miles in the league. The Carolina Panthers (8,740) will have the easiest travel schedule this season.
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SEATTLE – After making one turn through a six-man rotation following the return of Bryce Miller, the Seattle Mariners are making a tweak for the next time through.
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Manager Dan Wilson said Friday the plan is for the club to piggyback Miller and fellow right-hander Luis Castillo during the next turn. The M’s have yet to decide which of the two will start.
“That’s the approach we’re going to take and we’re ready to roll,” Wilson said. “I think our guys are in a good spot in terms of getting an extra day here, and I think that’s gonna come up huge for some of these guys.”
Miller, who started the season on the injured list with a left oblique strain, made his season debut Wednesday night in Houston, tossing 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball on 81 pitches. Castillo pitched Thursday’s series finale against the Astros, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out six over 5 2/3 innings.
The pair is lined up to pitch Tuesday’s home game against the Chicago White Sox. Miller will have had five days of rest, while Castillo will have had the typical four.
Wilson said both players have been accepting of the decision.
“I think they were definitely in a good spot with it and understand it,” Wilson said. “And I think these guys, as we’ve talked about, these guys in this clubhouse, all of them want to do what’s best for the team. And these guys have really taken to that and they’re ready to go.”
Wilson acknowledged that a piggyback situation could get complicated by game flow and situations, but pointed to the potential benefit it could have in giving the bullpen a night off. Either way, it’s a situation that will be evolving for the club as they go.
“This is something that we haven’t done before, so it’s going to be a lot of waiting and seeing and understanding and assessing and making our adjustments as we go,” he said. “But in theory, you can lay it out, and you just don’t know how it’s actually going to play out. So we have to be open to different ways to proceeding, but we’ll take a look at it when we get there.”
The Mariners’ decision to go to a six-man rotation then a piggyback situation with Castillo and Miller come after widespread speculation about what the club’s plans would be when Miller returned from the IL.
When the season started, the assumption was right-hander Emerson Hancock would once again find himself as the odd man out when Miller returned. However, Hancock, a first-round pick at No. 6 overall in the 2020 draft, has earned himself a spot in the rotation during a breakout start to his season. In nine starts this year, he has a 3-2 record, 3.02 ERA and 56 strikeouts to 10 walks over 53 2/3 innings.
Castillo’s spot in the rotation started to come into question after the veteran started to struggle following a strong first start of the season. In seven starts from April 5-May 9, Castillo posted a 7.79 ERA over 32 1/3 innings and batters hit .329 against him. But his most recent start against Houston marked a step forward for the three-time All-Star and highest-paid pitcher on the Mariners’ roster.
Seattle Mariners coverage
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• Why Jeff Passan likes Seattle Mariners’ plan with six-man rotation
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