Kitchener-Waterloo Police Alarm Policy

The Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) operates under a Verified Alarm Response Program (VARP), designed to reduce the high volume of false alarm dispatches. Under this policy, police will only be automatically dispatched for high-priority alarms involving immediate personal threats, such as hold-up, duress, panic, or mobile tracking system signals. For all other property-related or intrusion alarms, the monitoring station or homeowner must "verify" the emergency before officers will attend. Verification can be confirmed through audio or video monitoring, the activation of multiple independent alarm zones (cross-zoning), or an eyewitness on the scene who can confirm criminal activity.

If the police respond to an alarm that is determined to be false, a fee is applied to recover costs. According to the regional by-law, the fee for attendance at a false alarm for both monitored and self-monitored premises is $170.00 plus HST. These fees are typically invoiced directly to the alarm monitoring company, which then passes the cost on to the subscriber. Additionally, the WRPS does not respond to alarms communicated via automatic dialing devices or pre-recorded messages. If a property owner wishes to dispute a charge, they can file a false alarm reconsideration appeal for a fee of $30.00, which is generally refundable if the appeal is successful.