FORT WORTH -- A Fort Worth man who is upset that police didn't respond to his business early Sunday because his alarm permit had expired, did not tell dispatchers that he could see a burglar outside his business from his security cameras, according to a 911 taped released Thursday.
Leroy Reber, the owner of DFW Wholesale Security on West Berry Street, called 911 at 3:53 a.m. and said there was a break-in at his business but acknowledged he wasn't at the store."No. I'm not there," Reber said. "I just got it on my alarm."When the dispatcher later said she couldn't dispatch because of the expired permit, Reber insisted he had renewed it and said he believed a burglary might be taking place."I'm just saying something could be going on," Reber said on the 911 call.In an interview earlier this week with the Star-Telegram, Reber said he told the dispatcher that he was watching the live video feed of the break-in from his computer at home.Reached on Thursday, Reber said he thought he gave that information to the dispatcher. But even if he didn't, he said police still should have sent an officer."I know I mentioned a break-in," Reber said. "I was hot at the time. I still think they should have dispatched because I called them and told them a burglary was happening. That should have been enough."When he was told police wouldn't respond, Reber drove to the store and flagged down an officer en route. By the time he arrived, the burglar was gone but the building had about $10,000 damage from being rammed by the burglar's vehicle.On the video feed from the store security cameras, a burglar can be seen walking around the outside of the building. The video then shows a minivan ramming into the corner of the business.Police didn't dispatch because the city of Fort Worth has a "no permit, no response" policy for private security systems since November 2003 that required a $50 annual permit fee. The City Council also set a fine of $50 to be imposed after five false alarms.This is the fourth time Reber's business has been burglarized since it opened in 2007. It was hit by burglars three times in 2008.Police said the alarm permit for the store's address expired on Nov. 30, 2011, and that there had been four false alarms since April 2008. Reber insists he paid the alarm permit fee but said he couldn't produce a receipt.Bill Hanna, (817) -390Twitter: @fwhannaAudio: Listen to an excerpt from the store owner's 911 call
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