One major problem here, even though we pay millions for our own police department per year, the department is still operating on antiquated alarm technology.

Reporting an alarm to the APD is done over standard telephone lines, which are prone to error, being cut, rather than the instantaneous IP-based (Internet) transmission, which can be transmitted over the home's Internet system AND/OR a cellular based system for redundancy.

It would cost just a few thousand dollars to upgrade to the new system.

I've been asking about this for years. Nothing happens.

Think of how much money could be saved if we outsourced to Redwood City or Sheriffs.

gtspencer:

Last figure I saw was a couple years ago and it was at least $1 million per year then. Probably more now.

The savings would be a lot more than $1M/year. With just part of the savings, Atherton could hire private patrol security guards, like Bel Air does. Much cheaper than police officers, with no pensions, etc. They would be driving around, looking for trouble or break-ins in the neighborhoods, and this would vastly reduce property crime. Residents would be much better off.

For whatever reason, the city council has steadfastly refused to treat this issue as a logical, issue-based set of pros and cons to be analyzed. They will not meaningfully consider outsourcing. I don't quite understand why, other than it's something like inmates running an asylum.

Thoughtful:

They have steadfastly refused to look at outsourcing as every time they do loud citizens are against it. Wealthy people seem to like having their own personal, private police force. One can make some rather nasty assumptions as to why.

Thoughtful = absolutely correct.
Although the landline approach (who has a landline anymore) works,
even a budget RING system like we have is wireless, secure, and is easily configured to resident's needs.
We paid about $1,100 for our system, we pay $200 for real-time monitoring, and get a $200 discount on our homeowners insurance.
No, I don' work for RING !

Meanwhile Menlo Park is more concerned about criminals privacy concerns. Because taking a photo of your plate while you're on a public road is an invasion of it. /SMH

Remember that this is the Council that spent over $500k in a well predicted failure to "detach" from the Fire District even though such detachment would have lowered its levels of service without reducing its property taxes by a single penny.

Atherton pays twicw as much per capita for police services as does Woodside and three times as much as does Portola Valley.

Woodside loves its services from the Sheriff - they get the same officers every day, can quickly scale up for major events and can add special services as and when they wish. Need a murder to be investigated by a homicide expert - DONE. Need a motorcycle patrol for a few days - DONE. And no need to worry about CALPERS assessments for retirement fund shortfalls because their annual payment includes all retirement liability.