As we close in on the end of the year, you start to pull together thoughts, some general and some specific, on how things have gone. With the California Alarm Association meeting just concluded in San Francisco, it always gives a touch of finality to the year, and helps lend us some perspective on the events that have taken place.
Overall, throughout 2011, we’ve been pleased with the reception we’ve gotten, the verbal and financial support given by members of the electronic security industry in North America, and our successful interactions with law enforcement – the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and National Sheriffs Association (NSA). At the CAA Convention, we were once again overwhelmed with thanks, and we want to take this time to thank all of you who help us on this national challenge we face to constantly and consistently improve alarm management practices in our industry. We can’t do it without you, and we’re glad you’re there supporting us, and offering insights.
In particular at the CAA Convention, there was a small, but illustrative example, of how SIAC gets the job done. It doesn’t stand out. It doesn’t make headlines. But it yields positive results for “YOU” – the companies making up the electronic security industry.
This case occurred in Cathedral City, CA. It’s a simple story. The city had been pursuing verified response, so police would not have been the first responders to alarms. We work to change these types of ordinances and policies across the country. Here, our California team, spearheaded by Jon Sargent (ADT/SIAC rep), got the city’s position reversed beginning in January 2012. The police chief developed this new alternative, which will use reserve officers to respond, after collaborating (and we use that word with pride) with Jon and other CAA dealers. Working together, we got it done!
We hope to continue this record of quiet success in the new year. We don’t always make the headlines. But we are providing you with results year after year. When we get a reversal of a verified response policy or ordinance, we believe everyone benefits because the community is safer, citizens are better protected, unnecessary alarms are reduced, and police resources are freed to work on the highest impact crimes.