5/13/08

My experience with the police in our new home

Okay, so this is the first house we have ever owned. We decided that we would get an alarm system. So within two weeks we were all set up.
Once we figured out that yes, if you open the window before turning off the alarm in the morning, it will go off. Also, if you open the back door in the morning before you turn off the alarm it will go off. Oh and if you drop a pan onto the kitchen floor it will trigger the glass break sensor and yep, you guessed it, it will go off. Which we only set our alarm at night or when we leave so needless to say half my household is ASLEEP when the thing goes off! Okay so we figured that all out.
While we were learning all that, which I'm sure they wrote in the manual that I didn't bother to read because, well, I learn from life. We also figured out that they call you, every time, it goes off.

Alarm Company "Hello. This is So-N-So from your alarm company. Your alarm has sent a signal that 1. a window was opened 2. your back door was opened. or 3. Glass broke in your home."
Me "Yes, I know."
A.C. "Is everything alright?"
Me "Yes. It was just 1. I wanted some fresh air. 2. My son went outside or 3. I was putting away dishes and the pot fell."
A.C. "Do you need me to dispatch police."
Me "No, no everything is okay."
A.C. "May I please have your password?"
Me "Yes, it's ..."

Okay, simple enough. All is great.

Unless you are on the phone with a sweet precious friend and your son sets off the alarm. Then because you really just want to talk to your sweet precious friend who by the way is calling long distance and between the two of you there are 6 boys ... time is limited. So when the alarm company calls you don't really check the caller id. So when you see the word 'guard' you mistake it for your pest control company. You think to yourself "Is it really time to spray for the ants again?" Oh well you figure, they will call back. About 5 minutes later a knock on the door. What in the world? you think. It's only 9 in the morning! UPS comes around 5 in the evening! So you excuse yourself from the conversation because clearly people are trying to annoy you. You go to the door in your lovely pjs because like I said before it's only 9! :) As you open the door a badge is in your face. A plain clothes police man is standing off to the side of your front door. He asks you if you are alright. You think 'Well, until now I was fine'. You answer Yes. He then steps up to you. He identifies himself and shows his badge one more time. You then notice there is an unmarked car parked in front of your neighbor's house and a cruiser down the street. You're thinking 'Man, what could have happened?' He then explains that you didn't answer your phone. Or your cell phone. Your husband didn't answer his phone either. "Oh, it was the alarm company that called!" You then explain to the nice officer that you just wanted to talk to your friend who lives in another state before someone got into a fight or someone needed help in the bathroom.
Okay so I learned that day that if you don't answer your phone when you set off your alarm that they will send out police. They are kind of funny that way.

We also have found out that if you just lock the bottom lock and not the dead bolt the wind can sometimes jiggle the door and set off the alarm. If you don't answer the house phone cause you're not home and you don't answer your cell phones because you are on a ride at Busch Gardens ... they will dispatch police to check the perimeter of your home. Then they will leave you a message on your home phone explaining what happened. Life lessons!

Now today happens. The boys and I left around 12:25 to go to our co-op. I had just pulled into a gas station when the phone rang. No one I know but God said "answer it". So I did. It was our alarm company. After introductions the following conversation:

AC "Your front door has triggered the alarm"
Me "Oh, I bet I didn't lock the dead bolt."
AC "There was no response from the house phone"
Me "No one is home. In fact we just left."
AC "Yes, I know that you just left. Mrs. L. the police have been dispatched. They are coming up your street now."
Me "Umm, okay." I'm thinking this is odd because they call house, my cell, then Bo's cell. In that order. If they can't reach any of us then they call the police.
AC "Mrs. L. the police request your presence at your residence."
Me "Umm, really? I'm on my way."
AC "The officers would like to know how long before they can expect you and what vehicle are you driving."
Me "Umm, 5 minutes and a dark blue Dodge Grand Caravan."

So we pull onto our street and see two police cars. Two officers are standing in our driveway. I start to pull up but they want me to park in the street. My front door is completely open! Of course my first thought is Sweetie! Our cat who loves to eat grass. The officer asked for my ID. He said that the reason the officers were called first was because of the fact that the alarm system registered that our front door was 'violently opened'. Since no one answered the home phone they dispatched police first. Wow, good to know. One of the officers asked if anyone was in the home. I said no, just three cats and a turtle. They laughed. Then one said that they saw a cat in our flower bed but when they approached it ran inside. Whew!
The officers searched our home to make sure no one was hiding. It was kind of cool to watch them from the street. They had their guns drawn and they did yell "Clear" after each room. Matthew has decided that he wants to be a cop now. LOL The boys and I went in and counted pet heads. Then we set the alarm, made sure the dead bolt was locked and headed to the co-op.
I must say that the rest of the day was not that adventurous.

5 comments:

Sarah A. said...

Wow, that is a bit of an adventure.

I'll bet you are more inclined to feel safe, rather than annoyed with that alarm now!

Bree said...

hee-hee:) only in the day of terri and those L boys:)
love ya!

Maricar said...

And you didn't tell us about that at CoOp ... what?!?

LOL - as I was reading your story, I kept thinking back to "If you give a mouse a cookie ..."

Don't tell my boys that police come to your house if the alarm goes off. They'll purposely drop a pan to see what happens.

At least you MUST feel safe ... yes?

Mocha with Linda said...

This would have freaked.me.out. (Our house was broken into twice when I was 7.) Glad it was an adventure and not a problem!!

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