Alberta RCMP are hoping to spend less time and resources on false alarm calls.

A new policy has been put in place that will no longer see them respond to alarms that have only been triggered once. This results from a review that was performed showing most alarms that are triggered only once are false alarms. False alarms tie up 911 lines and police resources.

According to RCMP, last year the province saw almost 15,500 false alarm calls which equals to nearly 8,000 human resource hours that could have gone towards more urgent calls. Officers will still respond to ATM, multi-zone intrusion, panic, duress, holdup, glass break, domestic violence, and verified alarms.

Tips from RCMP to help reduce the risk of a false alarm include:

- Proper placement of equipment so that debris/animals will not trigger alarms
- Knowing alarm codes
- Securing all windows and doors
- Replacing batteries regularly
- Reporting damaged or faulty equipment to the alarm company