HKCC Neighborhood Security Patrol Program
The Hollywood Knolls Community Club (HKCC) Safety Committee has initiated a project to bring private security patrol service to the Hollywood Knolls and Hollywood Manor!
We launched a successful pilot program in Lakeridge Estates last year, where routine patrols by private security officers from Post Alarm have apparently reduced incidences of property crime and trespassing. This new patrol initiative is modeled on the Lakeridge pilot, and we are submitting it to you here for your consideration.
HKCC is an all-volunteer, non-profit community organization. It does not operate as a HOA sanctioned by the City of Los Angeles, where membership is a mandatory condition of residency. Accordingly, a community security patrol service company cannot be engaged by HKCC, it must be contracted directly by the individual homeowners, each paying a monthly fee directly to the service provider. The patrol program in Lakeridge Estates is structured in this manner.
HKCC has no financial stake in any security agreements that may go into effect between the residents of the Knolls and Manor, and Post Alarm. We serve as a facilitator only, coordinating the process and acting broadly as advocates for our community. You make the final decision.
Please note that an Informational Questionnaire & Responses document appears at the end of this report, as Appendix A. It provides detailed information about Post Alarm and its service policies.
Enrollment Form
LINK
Patrol Service Framework
This type of residential patrol service program is structured around 3 imperatives:
1. The frequency of patrols conducted per 24-hour day. A patrol is 1 complete tour of the community, where a security officer in a marked vehicle passes slowly by every home in the neighborhood, making observations and taking appropriate security actions where indicated.
2. A minimum monthly Resident Fee is paid by each enrolled household. It is a fixed fee set by the provider, which covers the community patrol service. Enrolled residents may elect to purchase additional services from Post, such as vacation watch and security escort service, at an additional cost.
3. In order to provide the designated number of patrols per day, the patrol service provider establishes a minimum Aggregate Fee, which is the sum of all of the Resident Fees paid per month. While the Resident Fee remains the same for each household, the community as a whole must meet the minimum Aggregate Fee, to initiate the patrol service.
These 3 parameters come together in a simple calculation. The Lakeridge Estates patrol agreement with Post Alarm illustrates the model:
Residents elected to receive 9 patrols per 24-hour day.
The Aggregate Fee for that level of service is $2,000.00 per month.
The Resident Fee per household is $80.00 per month.
The minimum number of households required to enroll at that service level is 25 ($80.00 X 25 = $2,000.00).
In the Lakeridge program, of the 56 households in that neighborhood, 30 are enrolled, exceeding the minimum Aggregate Fee by $400.00. The community welcomes this overage because it offers the flexibility to sustain up to 5 residents quitting the program, without any interruption in patrol service to the community.
Observe and Report
The Lakeridge program includes 2 special conditions that were requested by the residents, which we call, “Observe and Report”. These provisions, listed below, restrict the scope of operation of Post patrol officers. The intent is to defer any potential use of deadly force to LAPD officers, if it ever becomes necessary. Post officers must remain on public property during patrols, and must summon LAPD in situations they believe may require detainment of suspected criminals or the use of deadly force. However, deadly force may be deployed in an emergency, where an officer believes there is an imminent threat to innocent persons, or the officers themselves. The Observe and Report provisions will apply to the Post patrol services contracted for the Knolls and Manor. However, individual residents enrolled in this program may waive those provisions, and grant Post officers the right to enter their private property to investigate possible criminal activity.
Lakeridge Observe and Report Terms
Post Security Officers shall contact Post Command when suspicious activity is observed. If such activity is associated with a Participant residence, Post Command shall attempt to contact Participant to verify activity observed. If verified, Officers take no action, if NOT verified, Post Command requests LAPD response. In that event, Officers remain on scene until police arrive but do not engage with persons of interest. Post Security Officers are not authorized to operate on private property, except as provided in Post policy on immediate danger to Security Officers or other persons.
Individual Engagement
Because HKCC cannot engage a patrol service directly, there is an important aspect of voluntary individual resident engagement that must be disclosed upfront. Every system of shared responsibility confronts questions of fairness. Because the proposed security patrol service would cover all of the Knolls and Manor, every resident benefits from the service. Yet, participation in the program cannot be made mandatory for every resident, so only those who enroll and pay the fee will be supporting the program.
Accordingly, the unenrolled residents will receive some security benefits from the patrol service for free, while enrollees foot the bill. Yet, there is a significant difference for those who are enrolled. Paying participants in the patrol service are direct customers of the patrol company, and are afforded the ability to call their command center 24 hours per day, to report an immediate issue and request that a security officer respond. This has happened several times in Lakeridge, and the average response time has been under 10 minutes, far better than 911. Significantly, the patrol company will not respond to calls from unenrolled residents.
Service Levels & Proposed Costs
1. We asked Post Alarm to provide bids for service in the Knolls and Manor, of the Aggregate Fee in 4 service categories. The bids are as follows:
6 Patrols/Day – 2 Patrols/8-Hour Shift: $13,491.00
9 Patrols/Day – 3 Patrols/8-Hour Shift: $14,815.00
12 Patrols/Day – 4 Patrols/8-Hour Shift: $19,750.00
24 Hours On-Site: $35,810.00
2. Post Alarm Resident Fee per customer:
$80.00/Month
3. In order to reach an agreement, we will need a sufficient number of residents to enroll as clients of the security patrol provider. These are the minimum numbers of resident households that must be enrolled to meet the Aggregate Fee for each service category offered:
6 Patrols/Day – 2 Patrols/8-Hour Shift: 169 Households
9 Patrols/Day – 3 Patrols/8-Hour Shift: 186 Households
12 Patrols/Day – 4 Patrols/8-Hour Shift: 247 Households
24 Hours On-Site: 448 Households
Example Calculations
6 Patrols/Day – 2 Patrols/8-Hour Shift
169 households are required to enroll at $80.00 per month, for a sum of $13,520.00 (nearest whole number). Aggregate Fee (169 X $80.00 = $13,520.00).
9 Patrols/Day – 3 Patrols/8-Hour Shift
186 households are required to enroll at $80.00 per month, for a sum of $14,880.00 (nearest whole number). Aggregate Fee (186 X $80.00 = $14,880.00).
Patrol Program Enrollment
If you are interested in participating in the patrol program, click on the hyperlink or QR code below. Please enter your name, address, and email address (all are required). Please complete the form no later than Friday, August 8, 2025. There is no obligation in submitting the form. HKCC will use the list to track the total number of respondents, to determine the highest service category for which we are eligible. As the number of program participants increases to reach the next highest service category minimum, so does the number of patrols we will receive per day. However, we must reach a minimum of 169 households in order to qualify for the lowest service level, 6 Patrols/Day.
Enrollment is not necessary for residents of the Knolls and Manor who are currently clients of Post Alarm, paying at least the minimum monthly fee of $80.00 for any service. Those residents will be automatically enrolled in the patrol service, and will be counted in the minimum aggregate.
If the responses are sufficient to meet at least that minimum service level, Post will send each respondent a contract to review. Respondents are deemed to be enrolled only after signing and returning the agreement to Post. Note that the Post contract affords clients the right to cancel the agreement with 30 days’ notice. Residents seeking to waive the Observe and Report terms should alert the Post representative to redact those terms from their contract.
However, in the event that there are not enough responses to reach the applicable minimum Aggregate Fee, HKCC will send an email announcement to the community, stating that the initial enrollment outreach has not been successful. At that point, HKCC may reach out again to Knolls and Manor residents, to determine if additional households can be enlisted to enroll in the program.
Questions
If you have any questions, please contact us at HollywoodKnolls@Yahoo.com, and a member of the HKCC Security Team will respond promptly.
HKCC Disclaimer
The information provided above was compiled over the past year through extensive research, including phone calls, emails, and in-person interviews with Post Alarm. While HKCC has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information, we do not guarantee the availability, quality, or pricing of any services offered by Post Alarm, as these are subject to change at the discretion of the company.
All stakeholders are strongly encouraged to conduct their own independent research and due diligence before entering into any agreement with Post Alarm or any other private security provider, such as Atlas and/or Securitas.
Enrollment Form
LINK
Appendix A:
Post Alarm Informational Questionnaire & Responses
General Information
1. What is the location of the patrol office of your company, that would provide patrol services to the Hollywood Knolls and Hollywood Manor?
Our Corporate facility is located in Arcadia, however, it is noteworthy that our patrol resources that serve the area shift change locally in Hollywood (specifically in the Cahuenga Pass).
2. What year was the company founded?
Post Alarm Systems was founded in 1956, and has operated continuously since. Post Alarm Systems is a privately held and owned Corporation that has been operated by the Post family for 3 generations.
3. Can your company provide certificates of insurance including General Liability and Workman's Compensation?
Yes
4. How many patrol officers are currently employed by your company?
Approximately 60 of our employees are assigned to our uniformed Patrol Division 2.
5. How many functional patrol cars are deployed in the Hollywood area?
Post fields between five and six patrol units in the general Hollywood/Cahuenga Pass area, depending on the time of day/night.
6. Who is the point of contact for clients aside from the patrol officers?
We offer a full cadre of Supervision and Management staff that are available around the clock. Each shift deploys a Field Supervisor. We also have an administrative manager that works during business hours as the primary point of contact for field-related needs and customer inquiries. For escalated issues, we employ a Director of Patrol, who is a retired career law enforcement professional, retiring at the rank of Captain. He is responsible for the overall operation and success of the Patrol Division. Our senior leadership at the Vice-President and Owner levels are also available in the event of a significant or unusual matter or circumstance.
7. Do you offer alarm and security video systems in addition to patrol services?
Yes, including live video monitoring and 2-way interaction if desired.
8. Will you take over the alarm monitoring from a pre-existing system of another security company?
Yes, in most cases we can simply reprogram the residents existing equipment to be monitored by our local in-house employee operated facility.
Patrol Services
1. What is the aggregate monthly cost of your patrol service for our area, which includes the Hollywood Knolls and Hollywood Manor communities? Please provide a cost for each patrol frequency category. You may add any other patrol frequency categories and monthly costs not listed below.
Monthly Cost of Patrol Frequency per 24-Hour Day
6 Patrols/Day – 2 Patrols/Shift: $13,491.00
9 Patrols/Day – 3 Patrols/Shift: $14,815
12 Patrols/Day – 4 Patrols/Shift: $19,750
24 Hours On-Site: $35,810
These calculations are roughly based on each patrol consisting of approximately one (1) hour per tour. These times will vary based upon several factors, including Vacation Watches, calls for service (both alarm and customer calls for suspicious activity or persons), and any Patrol Officer initiated observations or contacts.
2. What is your minimum monthly fee per individual client to participate in the community patrol service?
The monthly fee for patrol service in the Knolls and Manor would be $80.00. We develop the suggested monthly fee based on the total number of homes, the expected participation and the desired level of service. With that being said, we generally find that the monthly fee ranges anywhere between $80-$150.
3. How many patrol cars in your company would be able to respond to a call in the Hollywood Knolls or Hollywood Manor communities within a 10-minute time period at any given time of day?
This question has many varying responses based on the time of day, traffic conditions, route accessibility and if there is a high level of activity in the community. Generally, we deploy 2-3 vehicles that remain the general area and would potentially respond within 10 minutes. As I spoke of in our meeting, our firm has developed and utilizes a proprietary software that automatically routes the patrol unit with the shortest response time based on current traffic conditions.
4. What would your average response time on a call in the Hollywood Knolls or Hollywood Manor?
See above.
5. Do you offer vacation watch and home security escort services?
Yes, we offer both.
6. How do you handle a customer who, when arriving home to find an open door or other apparent security issue, requests that their home be swept by a security officer?
If there is no evidence or sign of crime requiring police response, the Patrol Officer will enter the location along with the customer to verify there is no threat. If there is a sign of forced entry or intrusion, our Patrol will ensure the customer is in a safe location, maintain surveillance of the residence and notify the Los Angeles Police Department and await their arrival. The objective is to protect client life safety and not escalate a non-life-threatening situation into a deadly threat.
7. What is your policy for dealing with a suspicious person encountered on a client’s property, after being summoned by the client on a trespass call?
Patrol Officers will make contact with any unauthorized persons who are on customer property, and determine if a crime has occurred and if there is legal cause for arrest. If not, the person will be escorted off property and observed leaving the community.
8. At what point with a suspicious person, burglary suspect, or trespasser, are your officers instructed to switch from a role of "observe and report" to physical involvement to protect the client or the client's property?
As you know, there are an infinite number of potentials and scenarios to this type of encounter. First, if a client is experiencing a life safety emergency or a threat, our Patrol Officers will take the appropriate measures to protect the customer. If a suspect/subject flees the property, our intent is to maintain the safety of the client and their property. We do not chase or pursue suspects away or off client property. At times we will follow, observe and report providing LAPD with location and description.
9. Do you have company signage to place on the property of your patrol clients?
Yes, we offer and provide yard signs signifying if they are alarm, patrol or video monitoring customers. In addition, we also offer 2’x3’ Community Patrol signs that can be strategically placed at key entrances and arteries into the communities.
Employees (Patrol Officers)
1. When hiring security officers, what methods do you deploy for background checks?
We employ a standard background investigation verifying employment eligibility, employment history, local and federal criminal conviction inquiry, a pre-employment drug screening, and most importantly and exclusively, a pre-employment polygraph exam. We have found the polygraph to be an exceptional tool in selecting only the most qualified and trusted candidates are selected for employment.
2. What types of training do your patrol officers receive before they are deployed in the field?
All new Patrol Officers are required to attend both classroom and in-field training, generally lasting 2-3 weeks. Our classroom training covers such topics as company policy, proper patrol procedures, de-escalation practices, legal and proper use of force continuum, interacting with unhoused or emotionally challenged people, legal boundaries within the scope of duties and many other skills required to navigate successfully in these challenging times.
3. How are your patrol officers armed?
Our Patrol Officers are equipped with pepper spray, baton, handcuffs and firearms.
4. Have any of your patrol officers ever discharged a gun or used a weapon while on duty (baton or pepper spray)?
We have not encountered or experienced an instance where a Post Patrol Officer has discharged his firearm in the course of their duties. We have had several instances of pepper spray deployment during the past 25+ years.
