Crime prevention is defined as “the anticipation, the recognition and the appraisal of a crime risk and initiation of action to remove or reduce it.” The first step in crime prevention is to realize that in order to prevent crime or becoming a crime victim, we must accept that crime prevention is a shared responsibility. It is not a city problem or a police problem. It is a societal problem that can only be properly addressed by our entire community.

Three elements must be present for a crime to occur: desire, ability, and opportunity.  A person may “want” to commit a crime and have the “ability” to commit a crime, but if we deny them the “opportunity” then no crime can be committed.  The primary goal of crime prevention has always been to apprehend the criminals.  While this goal is important, the goal of preventing crime and also reducing the cost of crime has taken on significant importance.  The goal of the City of Sunrise Police Department is to help individuals prevent crime by helping them make decisions in their everyday lives to reduce the opportunity for crime to occur, whether they are in our city or not.  Understanding crime prevention and how you can personally increase your chances of having a safe and enjoyable stay in the City of Sunrise will mutually benefit you and our entire community.

Alarm Systems
The City of Sunrise does not require registration – and does not assess a registration fee – for any alarm system installed in a home or business. However, it is the duty of every person or business that maintains an emergency alarm device to ensure that the alarm is in good working order. In order to prevent the unnecessary diversion of resources, the City does impose a charge on an alarm user if police and fire-rescue personnel respond to more than four (4) false alarms within any six-month period. Such a charge is intended to partially compensate the City for the cost of responding to an unwarranted call for emergency service.