New Verified Response laws could make your old security system obsolete
A new law enforcement trend is sweeping the country - Verified
Response. Police Departments across the United States and Canada are
continually challenged by the need to respond to all alarms even
though, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, a staggering 94
percent to 98 percent of all alarm activations are false. In a
post-9/11 world where police departments have been forced to take on
additional law enforcement duties and increased Homeland Security
responsibilities, the ability to free up time and re-deploy police
officers to higher-priority calls has never been more important. Police
are turning to Verified Response laws, which require verification of an
event before police will respond to the scene, in an effort to reduce
the amount of time wasted responding to false alarms.
More than 30 cities have adopted Verified Response and many more are
currently considering it. Policies vary from one locale to another, but
Verified Response generally states that police will respond to an alarm
only if it can first be verified through audio or video or by an
eyewitness.
Every minute counts
- Without verification of the alarm, it can take police upwards of 45 minutes to respond.
- A private security guard can verify the alarm, but guards are
costly and this approach still can result in delays averaging 17
minutes.
- With Sonitrol’s audio and/or video electronic surveillance,
alarms are verified. The average response time for a Sonitrol alarm is
just seven minutes.
For a FREE site security assessment, click here or call
1-877-SONITROL (877-766-4876).
