Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/31490
SECURITY SYSTEMS NEWS JANUARY 2011 www.securitysystemsnews.com NEWS 9 City mulls private officer response to alarms By Daniel Gelinas SHAWNEE, Kan.—Police offi- cials here were putting together a proposal for the Shawnee City Council’s vote that would have required monitoring companies in the municipality to verify all alarms via a private security offi- cer before dispatching alarms to the police. It’s a very restrictive form of verified response that could have had huge implica- tions for the security industry had it gone through, officials said. “The meeting with the Shawnee City Council, city manager and law enforcement was a win for all concerned,” said Kansas City Burglar and Fire Alarm Association presi- dent Bob Scales, who is owner of Safeguard Alarms, based in Kansas City, Mo. “We almost got caught by surprise with this … But the good news for us is that the City Council didn’t bite because they’re all busi- ness owners. That’s huge. They understand the user side of the issue. They pay for alarm sys- tems and they expect service.” Scales said the association would be as involved as possible in Shawnee’s false alarm reduction efforts in the future. The city held a meeting on Dec. 7 during which both sides presented their arguments. After hearing both the industry and police sides of the issue, the council voted. “Local leadership attended a meeting with the Shawnee city officials and Police Department to discuss the viability of a non-response-to-alarms policy,” said SIAC director Ron Walters in a Dec. 8 email to industry representatives. “After presenta- tions by both sides, the Council voted down the proposed policy shift, and directed the police to meet with the industry leaders to find an alternative to non response.” The Dec. 7 meeting followed a Nov. 29 meeting that addressed police response to private alarms and solicited input from the public on the proposed new policy. SPD Lt. Jodi Andrews moderated the meeting and said attendance was not indicative of a high level of public interest in the issue. “I invited 25 businesses individually via letter because they had a lot of false alarms. So they were specifically asked to come. But the meeting wasn’t that well attended. I had two citizens who had alarms and a couple of citizens who didn’t and a few alarm company guys,” Andrews said. “They were very helpful and provided a lot of good suggestions. This was just a public meeting to say, ‘Hey this is something we’re thinking about, so come and let us know what you think.’” Keith Bowman and Bob Vilumis of Metro Security Watch and Jade Alarm president Joe Pfefer, attended the Nov. 29 meeting. Walters was pleased with the outcome in Shawnee and praised the industry’s response, highlight- ing the efforts of those who took time to address the issue. “This is a huge victory for the alarm users of Shawnee, and the efforts by Bob Scales of Safeguard KC and Keith Bowman of Metro Security should be singled out. While quite a few dealers engaged in this issue, these two individuals put their businesses aside for over a week while preparing for [the December 7] meeting,” Walters said in the email. “In the com- ing days we will be engaging the authorities in Shawnee to develop a program that suits the community. It is asked that each of you keep an open mind to what is proposed. In the meantime, we all owe a debt of gratitude to those who stepped forward and spoke out.” SSN Introducing the network video certification that shows your strengths Get ready! This winter Axis is launching a new global standard in network video certification to help people and companies demonstrate their competence and skills in IP-Surveillance. To achieve certification, you will need to pass an advanced level test covering the latest in net- work video surveillance technologies, solutions, products, and best-practice techniques. Once certified, you’ll have a stamp of endorsement from Axis, the global leader in network video. It’s good for your career and your company’s reputation as it verifies your proficiency, and speaks volumes of your company’s ability to de- liver effective network video surveillance. Get ready for the new certification standard in network video. Axis offers both online- and classroom-based training to help you acquire the knowledge needed to pass the exam. Go to www.axis.com/certification to find our online certification center for more information. Prepare for certification. Go to www.axis.com/certification