If You Live In A Location Requiring Verified Response, like Sandy Springs, GA, Read This!

The police department in Sandy Springs, GA is one of several that adhere to a policy of Verified Response when it comes to burglar alarms. They require proof that a crime has occurred before they will respond. Proof can come in one of several forms, which we will be discussing here.

Different police jurisdictions define verified response in different ways and with different verification criteria. In some jurisdictions, a second burglar alarm activation on a different zone within the same address occurring within a set period of time qualifies as verification. For others, there must be audio, video, or onsite verification before the police will respond. In Sandy Springs, GA, the latter type of verification is required. The full Alarm Dispatch Guidelines for Sandy Springs, GA can be found here.

This is not to say that the City of Sandy Springs or any other police department that otherwise requires verification won't respond to any type of alarm without proof of an issue at the site. For most jurisdictions, if there is a Panic, Duress, Hold-up, Medical, CO, Elevator or Fire alarm, the requirement for verification is waived and immediate dispatch can be requested. But, at least in the case of Sandy Springs, if authorities respond and there is no evidence of criminal activity or any other emergency, then false alarm fees will apply.

Furthermore, if a monitoring station employee requests public safety dispatch on an alarm, based on audio or video proof that a crime is occurring or has occurred, then Sandy Springs requires that they submit proof of verification within 24 Hours of the dispatch request. Failure to do so will incur additional fines!

Proof can either be described to the monitoring station employee by the end-user after checking their cameras or other means of verification, or it can come from the monitoring station employee themselves having reviewed audio or video evidence. The burden of proof has been placed squarely on the monitoring company.

If a customer has an alarm system that uses Audio Alarm Verification, sometimes referred to as 2-Way Voice, then the monitoring station can use this to verify if an unauthorized individual is onsite. In the case of Sandy Springs, silence does not count as proof of an issue, the monitoring station dispatcher must hear footsteps, talking, sounds of rummaging, or other proof of an issue at the site.

If the customer has video surveillance, either the customer, or in some cases the monitoring station, can use the video system to verify if an alarm is an actual break-in. The customer may even have a friendly neighbor who is willing to receive a notification from the alarm monitoring company and will go and check things out for them and report back.

However, not every monitoring company will support 2-Way Voice. Currently Alarm Grid does not support this option. And not every customer wants to blanket their property with security cameras. Some properties are too large, or too far away from neighbors to make relying on a neighbor a viable option. In these cases, the best option may be to employ a guard service.

Currently, Alarm Grid offers guard response service in the Las Vegas, NV area through Custom Security Guard & Patrol. A patrol supervisor in a marked security vehicle is on standby 24/7 to respond to alarm dispatches. Upon arrival, they document any signs of forced entry, vandalism, suspicious activity, or vagrants, and they take date and time stamped photos of the property. If needed, they will contact the appropriate law enforcement agency.

The average alarm response time is approximately 20-30 minutes. Custom Security Guard & Patrol has been providing security, patrol, and alarm response services since 1979 and is licensed under NVPILB #619.

Coverage areas include the entire Las Vegas Valley, including Las Vegas, Henderson, Summerlin, Southern Highlands, Mountain's Edge, and surrounding communities.

Customers are billed $55 each time Custom Security Guard & Patrol is dispatched to their property. The charge is added as an extra invoice item to the customer's regular Alarm Grid monitoring invoice.

Areas in the United States where Verified Response is Required:

Please keep in mind that this list is something that may evolve with little notice. It may be difficult to keep the list 100% accurate, but we will do our best. Some jurisdictions have adopted verified response and later changed their policy after public criticism, operational concerns, or an increase in property crime. San Jose, CA is one such place. Other jurisdictions that have reportedly moved away from verified response include Dallas, TX, Madison, WI, Henderson, NV, Cathedral City, CA, Chico, CA, Indio, CA, Washoe County, NV, South Salt Lake City, UT, West Valley City, UT, and Summit County, CO.

You may have noticed that the table above didn't feature any locations from our neighbor to the north. There are a couple of places in Canada that require a version of verified response. Winnipeg, Manitoba, and London and Toronto, Ontario have all adopted a more lax definition of this type of verification.

In all three of these locations, the police department will accept two or more activations of two or more separate burglary zones as a form of verification. Currently, Alarm Grid does not offer a guard service in any of the Canadian provinces. If this changes, we'll be sure to update this blog post.

So, of course the burning question is, "How much does it cost?" Pricing for guard response varies by jurisdiction and provider availability. In the Las Vegas, NV area, Alarm Grid currently offers guard response service through Custom Security Guard & Patrol for $55 per dispatch visit. This includes up to 60 minutes on site per dispatch. They charge an additional $35 per hour if additional time on site is needed. This fee is added as a separate line item to the customer's regular Alarm Grid monthly invoice.

What do you think of the Verified Response Policy implemented in Sandy Springs, GA? Is it overdue, or overreach? Tell us what you think in the comments below. We'd love to hear from you. Stay tuned to our blog for more exciting security industry news. If you need help figuring out what system you have in the house you just moved into, you're looking to upgrade an existing system, or to install one for the first time, reach out to us via email at support@alarmgrid.com. We're here Monday - Friday from 9 am to 8 pm Eastern. We look forward to hearing from you!