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Does a burglar alarm call the police?

Updated: 22 October 2026

You hear the siren and assume someone has phoned the police. Ask the Police, in Q75, says forces attend alarms that meet NPCC policy, and that most domestic audible-only alarms do not. Call 999 yourself if a crime is in progress. Persistent noise is a council matter. This page is about who is phoned on the kits in the [alarm system with camera comparison](/hub/electronic-surveillance/alarm-system-with-camera): an app alert, Ring's contacts, SimpliSafe's keyholders, a Securitas guard, or a SIM dial-out. None of the five listings states a police unique reference number. This page is from Peter F., editor for DIY & tools.

You hear the siren and assume someone has phoned the police. Ask the Police, in Q75, says forces attend alarms that meet NPCC policy, and that most domestic audible-only alarms do not.

Our top picks

SimpliSafe SimpliSafe 13-piece camera and alarm

Best overall

SimpliSafe SimpliSafe 13-piece camera and alarm
9.0/10about £304.99
View offer
XNY XNY touchscreen alarm with 1080p camera

Alternative

XNY XNY touchscreen alarm with 1080p camera
7.6/10about £149.99
View offer
Ring Ring Alarm Pack M with indoor camera

Alternative

Ring Ring Alarm Pack M with indoor camera
7.4/10about £229.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What the police will and will not attend
  2. 2.Ring, SimpliSafe and a SIM dial-out
  3. 3.False alarms and keyholders
  4. 4.When the camera films past your boundary

What the police will and will not attend

A siren proves a sensor tripped. It does not prove a control room has a URN for your address. If you are watching a break-in, the call is 999 from you. NSI describes the fitted route: a recognised installer, PD 6662, a certificate, an alarm receiving centre, and a request for a URN. BIBA treats a grade such as 2E as the usual note for many lower-risk audible homes. These kits do not state a grade or a URN. If the policy names a grade, stop on the buying guide and call an NSI or SSAIB firm.

Ring, SimpliSafe and a SIM dial-out

The amazon bullets offer Assisted Monitoring and cellular backup at £8 a month. The plans page lists Solo at £4.99, Multi at £7.99, and a £29.99 call-out tier. Quote the page you pay, because those figures are not one sentence. SimpliSafe's page of 29 June 2026 lists self-monitoring at £12.99, Pro Standard at £19.99, and Pro Premium at £29.99. A third-party table has disagreed about the guard, so use SimpliSafe's page. XNY's SIM dial is your phone list, not a named UK centre. The hardware choice is on Ring or SimpliSafe.
SimpliSafe SimpliSafe 13-piece camera and alarm

Testsieger

SimpliSafe SimpliSafe 13-piece camera and alarm
9.0/10about £304.99
View offer

False alarms and keyholders

Loose pads, pets and heaters cause the trips people then ignore. A contact on the carpet is either a false alarm or a missed door. ProtectUK plans on two keyholders about 20 minutes away, which is not printed on these five boxes. If your keyholder works nights, the plan and the person do not match.

When the camera films past your boundary

GOV.UK's domestic CCTV guidance says your own property is one case, and a neighbour's home, garden or the street is another. An XNY pan and tilt head can still be turned toward a window. The siren does not change that duty.

Common questions

Will the police come if the siren sounds?
Not as a rule. Ask the Police Q75 says police attend alarms that meet NPCC policy, and that most domestic audible-only alarms do not qualify. Call 999 if a crime is in progress and you can report it. A Ring contact, a SimpliSafe guard or an XNY phone dial is not, on these listings, a police unique reference number. Noise that goes on and on is a council matter. The siren is a warning to you and to anyone standing next to it.
What does Ring Alarm Calls actually do?
It phones up to three contacts you have named, according to Ring's UK article. It does not, in that article, send the police. The amazon listings add an optional Assisted Monitoring and cellular backup line at £8 a month. The plans page lists different plan prices, including Multi at £7.99. Check which one you are buying. If all three contacts miss the call, you have a siren and a missed call, not an attended alarm.
What do you get on SimpliSafe at £19.99 and at £29.99?
On the UK support page updated 29 June 2026, £19.99 is Pro Standard: keyholder calls, and no dispatch. £29.99 is Pro Premium: agents, authorities after verification, and a Securitas guard. A separate £12.99 option is self-monitoring with camera recording. The guard is private security, not the police, and these listings do not show a URN. A cheaper third-party table has described the guard differently. Use SimpliSafe's page.
Is a SIM that dials your mobile the same as an ARC?
No. An alarm receiving centre is a staffed service on a certificated system, the route NSI describes towards a URN. XNY's SIM dials up to five number groups that you set, if Wi-Fi drops, on a 2G, 3G or 4G SIM. Your mobile ringing is you. If you do not answer, nobody in a centre is watching the account. That can still be what you want. It is a different service from Pro Premium, and a different service from the police.
Can a neighbour object to the camera?
Yes, if the camera films them, their home, their garden or the street. The ICO says filming beyond your boundary makes you responsible for that data under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. An indoor camera aimed at your own hallway is the use these kits fit. A lens turned out of the window is the use that creates the objection. Being able to pan the camera does not remove the duty.
What happens after repeated false alarms on a URN system?
The NPCC text of August 2022 withdraws level 1 police response after three false calls in 12 months. That applies to systems on the police policy, not to a bell that was never issued a URN. It is still a reason to fix pets, loose contacts and heaters before you ask an installer for a reference. A URN that has been withdrawn leaves you with a siren again. ProtectUK's two-keyholder idea, about 20 minutes away, is part of keeping a real attendance useful when it does exist.

Related pages

How to install a wireless alarm

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Home alarm system with camera: what to check first

Ring Alarm vs SimpliSafe UK: which kit you should buy

Sources

Public sources listed for this comparison, October 2026. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in that set. We did not run a lab test.

  1. Ask the Police Q75, alarm attendance (retrieved October 2026)
  2. NSI, intruder alarm systems (retrieved October 2026)
  3. BIBA, intruder alarms guidance for purchasers (retrieved October 2026)
  4. NPCC police requirements for security systems, August 2022 (retrieved October 2026)
  5. ICO, home CCTV systems (retrieved October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK, domestic CCTV (retrieved October 2026)
  7. Ring plans, UK (retrieved October 2026)
  8. SimpliSafe UK service plans, 29 June 2026 (retrieved October 2026)