Sonitrol Reaches 150,000th Apprehension!

Sonitrol announced at the recent SNDA annual convention in Savannah, GA that we have reached our 150,000th apprehension! Congratulations to Sonitrol of San Jose for helping us reach our 150,000th apprehension with the arrest of two juveniles made at the Santee Elementary School Library in San Jose, CA. This is a great milestone for all of Sonitrol and a testament to our strong partnership with law enforcement over the many years.

April 01, 2004 11:13 AM US Eastern Timezone

Sonitrol Records 150,000th Apprehension With Thwarted Elementary School Break-in

ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 1, 2004--Every criminal apprehension is important to Sonitrol, but the security company is especially proud of the capture of two people caught breaking into the Santee Elementary School in San Jose, Calif. on Dec. 30, 2003. The event marks Sonitrol's 150,000th documented criminal apprehension made since 1977 with the assistance of law enforcement.

"We take pride in this accomplishment because it demonstrates the success of our technology," said Bruce Winner, Sonitrol's education program manager. "Apprehensions are a great measurement for gauging the effectiveness and reliability of any security system. No other company has our technology and our high documented apprehension rate."

Winner attributes our unique apprehension record to Sonitrol's verified audio detection system and its professionally trained operators who monitor facilities across the nation, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Sonitrol's impact-activated audio detection system allows its operators to listen to a live break-in taking place and verifying the details of the incident to the police dispatcher. "This advanced security technology is especially beneficial for schools who face ongoing challenges of keeping their students, teachers, staff and visitors safe," said Winner. "Additionally, all schools should review their security plans yearly to be sure correct measures are in place to prevent theft, vandalism and burglary as they invest more in computers, high tech and other expensive equipment which are prime targets for crime."

Sonitrol's 150,000th documented apprehension took place on Dec. 30th at 7:46 p.m. when Sonitrol of Silicon Valley's central station received an impact-activated audio signal from the Santee Elementary School library. This library is the newest of the buildings on school property, and the only facility that has a Sonitrol security system installed. Hearing a loud crash and banging noises that activated the audio system, Sonitrol's operator-on-duty immediately verified and reported the incident to the San Jose Police Department. The operator continued to listen and heard two male voices. She stayed on line with the police dispatcher to report the live events taking place to the police and school authorities.

At 8:17 p.m, San Jose police officers Margie Beiderman, Jason Herr, Michael Ghezzi, Ted Trujillo and Jose Daysog reported that they had captured two juveniles exiting the portable classrooms located behind the library. Apparently, Sonitrol's impact-activated microphones in the library picked up the loud crashing noises from the nearby portable classroom buildings.

"Sonitrol's live audio really works," said Sharon Yniguez, the principal of Santee School. "The portable classrooms were protected by another security company that did not detect the break-ins. The fact that Sonitrol heard the intruders breaking into those buildings was just great. I wish we could have Sonitrol in all our schools."

"We work closely with our clients to give them absolute peace of mind," said Rachel Palomino, director of educational/municipal safety for Sonitrol of Silicon Valley. "They place their trust in our employees and our services, and we value the partnerships that we form with them and our law enforcement officials."

Larry Aceves, the superintendent of the district where Santee is located, places great importance on maintaining top-notch security. "In severe budgetary times, it is often easy to eliminate services that don't 'appear' to be critical to the ongoing operations of a school district," said Aceves. "To some, school intrusion alarm systems might seem to fall into that category, but not to us in the Franklin-McKinley School District. In this incident, Sonitrol's unique, impact-activated technology helped to apprehend burglars who had broken into a classroom and were severely ransacking it, before they were able to leave the campus. The quick apprehension made for this incident alone saved us thousands of dollars in potential loss and damages and is proof that even in the face of budgetary crisis, our investment in keeping schools safe is worth every penny."

Appreciating the excellent work and its partnership with law enforcement, Sonitrol of Silicon Valley donates to the local Crime Stoppers program for every apprehension incident that leads to an arrest. This year, Sonitrol will present a check for $2,700 at its annual recognition dinner to the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers organization for apprehensions made in 2003 with Sonitrol's assistance.

About Sonitrol:
Sonitrol Corporation is the leading provider of Verified Response security solutions for businesses and schools in North America. Founded by a policeman, the company's technology was created to reduce false alarms and increase apprehensions. Sonitrol's proprietary audio verification capability has assisted local law enforcement in the apprehension of more than 155,000 suspects since 1977. Its integrated suite of offerings includes audio intrusion alarms, access control, video surveillance and fire detection. For more information on Sonitrol and its integrated security solutions, please visit the company's website at www.sonitrol.com.