Security of private premises
Version : 5.0
Detailed table of contents
This chapter contains the following topics:
Executive Summary
Alarms
• Types of alarms
- Assistance and panic alarms
- Raid alarms
- Burglar alarms
- Lone worker mobile applications
• Police response to alarms
- Assistance and panic alarms
- Raid alarms
- Burglar alarms
- Lone worker mobile applications
• Response to false alarm activations
• Persistent false alarms
Open or insecure premises
• Entering premises
Alarm installation and monitoring
• Private Security Personnel & Private Investigators Act 2010
• Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority
• Objections by Police to application for licence
• Persons who must hold a licence
• Advising the public about alarms and security companies
This is an uncontrolled document printed for reference only.
The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet.
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Executive summary
This chapter seeks to provide guidance in relation to attendance at alarm activations,
steps to consider when responding to insecure premises, and information regarding who
can install and monitor alarms.
The key, critical points for staff to note are:
• Police response to an alarm will depend on the type and location of the alarm
activation, and taking into consideration factors such as reliability, history of false
activations, and environmental conditions at the time.
• Any persistent false alarms should be referred to the local noise control officer for
resolution.
• Entering insecure premises should only be done following a TENR assessment of the
situation.
• Alarm installation and monitoring must only be done by operators licensed and
certified under the Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010.
This is an uncontrolled document printed for reference only.
The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet.
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Version : 5.0
Alarms
This section contains the following topics:
• Types of alarms
• Police response to alarms
• Response to false alarm activations
• Persistent false alarms
Types of alarms
For the purpose of these instructions, alarms are classified according to their purpose
into four types.
Alarm type
Description
Assistance and
These may be audible or silent and are intended for use by
panic alarms
persons in distress to summon assistance.
Raid alarms
These are silent and normally terminate at a commercial
monitoring station. They are designed to be activated during
or soon after a criminal attack, such as armed robbery.
Burglar alarms
These may be audible or silent and are designed to detect
unauthorised intruders on premises or property.
Lone worker mobile
These are smartphone applications that are commonly
applications
offered by security companies to provide personal protection
for lone workers. An alert is triggered by either the expiration
of a timed session, by pushing a panic button, or by shaking
or swiping the device. The alert will commonly be received by
the security company who will be able to hear and/or see
real-time images from the device. The security company
should know who has the device, and what activity they are
undertaking. They will then triage the information and
provide an appropriate response, whether dispatching a
security patrol, or referral to Police, Ambulance, or Fire.
Police response to alarms
In most cases, private security companies who monitor alarms should be the first to
respond to alarm activations, with Police responding
only when advised of a burglary or
suspicious activity. Response to any alarm, including alarms not monitored by a security
company, should be dictated on its merits.
This table provides a
guide to the circumstances in which Police should respond to alarm
activations.
Assistance and
• Only respond when the exact nature of the emergency has
panic alarms
been established, OR the situation indicates a police
presence is required.
• Never authorise Police stations as contact telephone
numbers.
Raid alarms
• Respond if the alarm involves diplomatic missions,
consular posts, vice regal or prime ministerial residences;
or
• for other locations, the level of response being based on
the reliability of the alarm and any other factors that may
indicate a genuine activation.
This is an uncontrolled document printed for reference only.
The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet.
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Burglar alarms
• Respond to genuine alarm activations.
• Consider these factors when deciding if an activation is
genuine:
- information provided to Police
- any known history of false activations
- weather conditions at time of activation
- absence of alarm user (e.g. holiday)
- other suspicious activity.
Lone worker mobile
• When alerted to an alarm activation by a security
applications
company, ensure that the provider has conducted a triage
assessment on the activation, and are satisfied that there
is a legitimate reason for Police involvement.
• Respond as with any genuine alarm activation.
• Consider these factors when deciding if an activation is
genuine:
- information provided to Police by the security company
- what attempts have been made to contact the holder of
the device to verify the need for emergency services to
respond
- are there any agreed protocols regarding identifying
whether the holder of the device is under duress and
have these been actioned
- the intended activity of the holder of the device (e.g. a
meeting with a volatile client)
- real-time audio or visual information gathered from the
scene by the security company
- any known history of false activations.
Response to false alarm activations
After responding to false alarm activation, the Area Commander must instigate follow-up
action to ensure Police resources are not wasted on further false activations.
Persistent false alarms
Burglar alarms must be fitted with time cut off devices. Advise members of the public
reporting intruder alarms sounding for lengthy periods to contact their local noise control
officer.
A false activation includes but is not limited to:
• occupiers
• insects
• birds
• animals
• weather conditions
• technical faults
• incorrect installations
This is an uncontrolled document printed for reference only.
The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet.
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Open or insecure premises
Entering premises
Use the steps in this table as a guide when premises are found open or insecure in
circumstances requiring investigation.
Step Action
1 Conduct
a
TENR assessment of the situation and advise the Communication
Centre.
Note: You should not enter the premises without assistance unless you
suspect an intruder is in or about the premises and immediate action is
necessary to apprehend the offender. However if possible, cordon and
contain, and wait for assistance.
2
Contact the occupier or security company as soon as practicable and:
• inform them about the situation
• request their attendance.
3
Wait for the assistance of the occupier or security company and:
• carry out an inspection of the premises; or
• where the occupier or security company cannot attend, engage where
practicable the assistance of a respectable person to assist.
Note: Record the details of the person in your notebook.
4
If the occupier or security company cannot be contacted, safeguard or secure
the premises and ensure they are advised as soon as practicable.
5
Report the incident in accordance with district procedures before finishing
duty
This is an uncontrolled document printed for reference only.
The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet.
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Security of private premises, Continued...
Version : 5.0
Alarm installation and monitoring
This section contains the following topics:
• Private Security Personnel & Private Investigators Act 2010
• Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority
• Objections by Police to application for licence
• Persons who must hold a licence
• Advising the public about alarms and security companies
Private Security Personnel & Private Investigators Act 2010
A company or individual who wishes to install and/or monitor alarms must be licensed
and hold a certificate of approval under the Private Security Personnel and Private
Investigators Act 2010.
Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority
The Licensing Authority is appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of
the Minister of Justice. Details regarding the Authority can be viewed at
www.pspla.govt.nz.
It is the responsibility of the Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority to make
enquiries and authorise certification of installers and monitoring personnel.
Objections by Police to application for licence
Police may file a notice of objection with the Licensing Authority to the granting of an
application.
Persons who must hold a licence
These persons must hold a licence:
• private investigators
• security technicians
• security consultants
• confidential document destruction agents
• property guards
• personal guards
• crowd controllers.
Note: Employees or contractors of the licence holder must hold a certificate of approval.
A licence holder or the holder of a certificate of approval, must produce their licence /
certificate on demand by any constable.
Advising the public about alarms and security companies
Consider these principles before you provide advice to the public about alarms and
security companies:
• Alarm systems should be installed by approved persons under the Private Security
Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010.
• Persons can be referred to the website of the Private Security Personnel Licensing
Authority at www.pspla.govt.nz.
• Arrangements should be made with an approved security company and/or community
groups for response to alarm activations.
• Police do
not operate as key holders.
• Alarms
must not be monitored at Police stations.
Note: Police
must not make recommendations to the public regarding what company
they should engage. However, on inquiry, knowledge of a reputable company by local
Police may be offered.
This is an uncontrolled document printed for reference only.
The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet.
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