Louis Freeh and False Alarms [RISKS]

[Declan McCullagh]

My home has a security system. I wonder what would happen if I let,
say, young relatives stay here and they triggered, say, five false
alarms.

Most likely outcome: A severe talking-to by the local constabulary,
and many fines. Not, oh gosh, and back-slapping among comrade LErs.

Like you said, more equal than others.

It would be interesting to read up on the laws re: false alarms of
Fairfax County.

-Declan


On Sat, Mar 31, 2001 at 06:23:35PM +0500, Reese wrote:
> In response to AW, it's very simple.  Some animals are not only more equal,
> but more important than others.  Gee, that redundantly repeats itself.
> 
> Trivia file entry # 1:  In the land of the brave, home of the Freeh, there
> are motion detectors in the basement.  Nice.  Squeak squeak.
> 
> At 05:33 PM 3/31/01 -0800, Bill Stewart wrote:
>  >Obviously this calls for wiretaps on Freeh's phones and email and
>  >hidden cameras in his house to prevent future occurrences....
>  >
>  > From [risks] Risks Digest 21.28
>  >=========================
>  >Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2001 13:57:54 -0500
>  >From: Graystreak <wex at media.mit.edu>
>  >Subject: Risks of self-induced false alarms
>  >
>  >http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38625-2001Mar7.html
>  >
>  >FBI Director Louis J. Freeh said he and his wife had been baffled by a
>  >series of false alarms from the security system in their Great Falls area
>  >home. Fairfax County police responded each time, but no suspects had been
>  >nabbed.
>  >
>  >It seems that two of his six sons, then ages 5 and 4, had been amusing
>  >themselves by making their 2-year-old brother run in circles in the basement
>  >to set off the motion detector. "They would sit and watch for the police to
>  >come," Freeh said.
>  >
>  >[AW notes: no discussion of why the motion detector was on in the basement
>  >while the children were home, nor why the police didn't adopt a "call before
>  >responding" policy after some number of false alarms.]
>  >
>  >=================================================
>  >
>  > 
>