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.
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1-877-SONITROL (877-766-4876).