Verified Response Discontinued in Silicon Valley San Jose

Published Feb 28, 2019 18:18 PM

Almost all security alarms are false. This has driven some municipalities to require verified response before dispatching police.

However, now San Jose, with a population of more than 1 million people and in the middle of Silicon Valley has discontinued the practice after an increase in crime. San Jose enacted the restrictive policy in December of 2011.

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Inside this note, based on our outreach to The San Jose Police Department, and talk with SIAC (Security Industry Alarm Coalition) we look at the following topics:

  • False alarms and Verified Response
  • Why San Jose had it and why they dropped it
  • Despite the cost
  • Who else has dropped it?
  • Are any looking to institute it?
  • Industry stance on Verified Response?
  • SIAC supports under certain circumstances
  • Alternative to Verified Response
  • Outlook for Verified Response

False ****** *** ******** ********

** ** ********* ******** ** *** alarm ******** **** **** ****** ****** respond ** *** ***** **** ****** news ******* ******** ***** *** ** ************* ***** *** ** ************* ***** ***** ***** ** **%-**%. San ******** ** * **** ********** *** ****'* *** ******** ******** policy **** ** **** ** *** responded ** ~**,*** ******, ** ***** 98% **** ***** *** "****** * lot ** **** *** *********."

****** ***** **** **** **** ** do ********* ** **** ** ******* time ** ******* ** ****** ***********. Enter ******** ********, * ***** ***** management ******** ** ***** *** ****** will *** ******* ** ** ***** until *** ***** ******* ***** ***** steps (*****-, ** *****-************, ** *** witness *********) ** ****** *** ***** is ****.

Why *** **** *** ** *** *** **** ******* **

*** *** **** ** ********* *** IPVM **** *** ******** ******** ****** was ** ****** ** ******, ********* us ********* *****-****** ********* *********** ***** ******** ** *********. *** manual, ******* ** ****** ****, ***** clear **** ***** "* ******** ** security ****** *** *****, **** *** a **** ************ ******* ** ******** when * ***** ** *********," ** seen ** *** ********** ** *** section ******* *****:

IPVM Image

*** **** **** **** *** ********* official ******** ** ** ********* *******:

*** **********’* ******** ** ******** ******** to ******** ****** *** ** ***** online ** *** *** **** ****** Department’s **** ****** ******, ************ ******* L **** – **** ******** ** SECURITY ******. **** ******* ******** *** most ****** ****** ** *** **********’* procedures. ***** ** ** ********** *********** to *** ** **** ****.

*** **** ** ******* *** ******** response ****** ** ******** ** **** in ** ******* ** **** **** and ********* ****** ** ********** ** false ******. *******, *** **** ******** the ****** ** ****** ** ****, after * **** ** ***** ****** the ~* ***** ****** **** *** responding ** ******, ** *********** ** the **** ***** ******** *****:

Despite *** ****

*** **** ****** ********* ************** **** against ********** ** *** ****** ** that ** ** ******. ********* ** the**** ***** ** *** **** ******** Verified ********, *** **** ********* ** **** that ** *** ****** $***,*** **** year ********** ** ***** ******. ***** on ********** ************* *** ****** **********'* **** ****** of * ******** ** *******, **** estimates **** ****** ***** ****** ** closer ** * *** ******* ******* a **** ** ****. ** ** likely *** **** *** ********** **** a ********* **** ** ***** ** worth **** ****.

Who **** *** ******* **?

IPVM Image

********* ** **** ********* ******** **** Martin [**** ** ****** *********], ***** have **** ******* ************** **** **** instituted *** **** ******* ******** ********, including ******, *****. *** ********* **** footage **** **** ***** * ***** owner ***** ******** ** ** ******** as ** ****** *** **** ****** the ****** (******** ******* ** *** a ***** *****), * ******* ***** in ********* *** ******** ******** ***** [link ** ****** *********]* ** **** city:

* *********** **** ******** *** ********** first ****** ******** ******** ****** ********* authorities ***** * ******** ***** ** the ****** **, ***** * ***** later ******** *** ****** ** ****, as **** ** *** ********* **** footage, ***** ****** **** **** **** the ****** "****'* **** * **** message ***** ******** ******" ** *** city:

Who ** ***** **?

*********, *** ** **** ** ***** Springs, ******* *** * ******** ******** policy.

*** **** ** * **** ****** *** ******* ***** ***** ***** statistics**** *** ********** **** *** **** of *** *******, ** **** ** the ********** *****:

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*** **** ******* **** *** **** on ***** ********* ** ***** ***** is ******** ** ******** ******** ****** dispatching ******, ** **** ** *** screenshot *****:

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********* ** **** *** ***** ******* Verified ******** ******* ** ******, ****** ***** ********* *** ***** alarms ***** *** ********* ****** ** end-user *****.

** ****, ********** ********** **** ****** & ******* Association (******)***** **** *** ***** *********, *-*** Security **. *** *** ******* ******** Solutions***** * ******* ******* *** ***** Springs **, ********* *** ****'* ********* **** included ******** ******** *** ***** *** false ****** *** ****************.**** **** *** ********* ** ******** of ****, *******,****** *** ***** ** ******.

****** **** **** ** *** *********, Sandy ******* *** *** **** ************ with **** ******** ******** ** *****, noting **** ***** ************** ******** * "broadcast *** ****" ******, ** ***** the *** ******** ********** *** ***** address *** **** ***** *** *****. Patrolling ******** *** **** ** ******* or *** ** **** *** ***.

********, ****** **** **** "***** *** 18,000 ******** ** *** ** *** fewer **** ** **** **** **** of *********** ******** ****** ** *****."

SIAC ****** ** ******** ********

**** ***** ******** ******** ** ********* and "* **** ****" ** *** best:

** ** *******, ***-******** ***** ********* would **** ** ********** ** ****** their ********* **** ****** **** ** longer ** ********** ***** ***** *** fact. **** ****** **** ***** ******** private ******** ********. **’* * ******* sell ** **** ******* ***** ******** for * *** **** ** ** to **** **** ****** ********.

****** **** *** ******* **** ******** Response ** **** ** ** "***** the ****" *** ********* ***** ****** are *** ****** ***** ******** ******** is ********* ****** ** * ****** or ** ************* *****:

******** ******** ** ***** *** ****. It’s ****** ***-********. ****** ***’* **** up ***** ***** *** **** ********."

****** **** **** ** *** ***** the ****** "**** ******** ** ****" since *****-** ********* **** *** ******** response ****** ***** **** **** ****** a *****-** ** ********** ***** ******* activity, ****** **** ********** ******** **** a *********:

*** **** **** ******** ** ** the ***—**** ** **’* * ** 4 ******* ****—** * *********.

SIAC ******** ***** ******* *************

******* ************, ****'* ****** **** **** supported ****** ***-******** ** ***** ****** abused *** ******* ** ****** ******** by *** ***** **** **** ***** to ******* ***** ******:

** ******* ****** ******** ******** ** people ***’* *** ** *****.

****** **** **** ***** **** **** a *** ******* **** **** ******* for ** ************** ***** ******** ******** looked **** *** **** *******. ** said **** **** ***** ** *** the ********* ********** *** ***** **** a **** ** ******** ********, ** seen ** **** ********** ** *** coalition's******* **** ** ******** ********:

IPVM Image

****** **** ** ***** *** *** industry ******** ** ******* *** *** pre-police-dispatch ***** ******** ** ******:

**** ***** ** *** ***** ********. We ******’* ** ****** **** ********** right ***.

Alternative ** ******** ********

**** ******* ******** ******** *********** ************** ***** **** *** ***** to **** ** *** **** **** city ********, ***** *********, *** *** users. ****** **** *** ***** ********* did * **** *** ** *********** the ***** ***** ******* ** ****** repeat ********* *** ********* *** ********** of ******** *** ***********, ****** * dramatic *********** **** *** ********* ** enacted *** ********:

**** *** ***** ********* ** **** and ******** ** * ****, **% of *** ********* ******* ** * city ***’* **** *** ********* ** a ****.

Outlook *** ******** ********

** ** ********** **** *** **** is ** *** ***** ** ******* Valley, ***** ********** ********* ******. ******** Response ** * ****** **** ***** to ******* ********** ** ****** ****** and ****** *** ***** ***** *******. When **** * ****** ** ******* in ** **** **** ******* **** development, ** ** ****** **** ** will ** ******* *********, ** **** until **** ***** ********* ******* ************* verification ***** ** ***** ********.

***** *** ****** **** ******** *** a **** ** **** *********, ********* the*********** *** ******** ******** ***** ******** (PPVAR), ***** **** ** ********** *** benefits ** ******** ****** **** *** goal ** ********* ******** ******** ****** from ******.

Comments (17)
U
Undisclosed #1
Feb 28, 2019
IPVMU Certified

The following news footage from 2007 shows a store owner being attacked by an intruder as he enters his shop before the police...

apparently the store owner had a working video surveillience system, but didn’t check the the system remotely before entering.

Also, paging Lee Jones :)

(2)
U
Undisclosed #3
Mar 01, 2019

sonofa...

I saw this headline and was going to drop the 'Lee Jones, white courtesy telephone please' joke on the thread...  but you beat me to it on the very first post.

nice work, sir.

(1)
U
Undisclosed #1
Mar 01, 2019
IPVMU Certified

I just paged him...

(1)
LJ
Lee Jones
Mar 01, 2019
Support Services Group

This IPVM Discussion about San Jose can be an excellent source of funding for this major alarm association, Security Industry Alarm Coalition/ SIAC; although counter-productive to their membership and most of the other Associations membership. We believe San Jose is simply preparing for a transition from police “policy” to municipal “ordinance”. By letting the industry break-down much of the political and citizen resistance by exposing their best (sloppy) performance. Remember, the monitoring segment of the licensed alarm industry has been delivering over 25Million unnecessary requests for police response, to nationwide private alarm customers, every year for several decades, with near total error/false. As much of 18% of local police budgets. Of course police response to the site of alarm customers add much market value. Unsustainable! The dichotomy… SIAC is actually helping many cities craft court tested legislation AGAINST the Association Membership. Including Seattle, Fremont, Fontana, Sandy Springs GA, Detroit, Los Angeles, (hundreds more with slow or no response, not dozens). SIAC forgot to mention that several states have already passed legislation banning/preventing private monitoring firms from even calling the police until performing verification/confirmation. Texas is of the states that passed such legislation following the removal of VR in Dallas….why stop with one community when can do statewide. Another city mentioned by SIAC is Henderson NV… note they substituted B&F Broadcast and File…. worse than VR. Los Angeles the same, went to B&F, now over 40 minute response or not at all, but the customer still pays about $150 just for the first call. Thanks to SIAC. The SIAC “model ordinance” has become a joke among larger munis, as a trojan horse delivering self-serving traps. We believe the template that will gain most traction is SR-Subsidy Recovery, wherein the responsibility will be transferred from the citizen consumer to the monitoring segment of the private security industry… on-demand response will be provided, but all subsidy/fees paid by the monitoring source (major reduction of UPR-Unnecessary Police Response.) After 15 years, Seattle Subsidy Recovery (and others) have been trending templates. Note even Amazon/Ring has a solution to VR Verified Response… private response or just customer notification.
Source: Lee Jones; Support Services Group

U
Undisclosed #1
Mar 01, 2019
IPVMU Certified

Lee, glad you could make it.

So I admit I’ve spent the last 30 minutes examining your post, by carefully reading, googling, re-reading and taking a brisk walk while contemplating, and then re-googling and finally rebooting, before making this reply.

My resultant conclusion is that your post betrays a deep and nuanced knowledge of the Byzantine policies and politics of police response to residential alarms, of which I confess I have had little formal training in.

And from the moment I read the opening sentence’s talk of associative “discussion funding” and “trending templates”, I knew I was out of my league.

But although I could not myself fully grasp the meaning of more than a few adjacent words from your post at once, I am quite certain that this is merely due to my own intrusive ignorance.  So even if the semantic content hath escaped me, your confidence and emphasis convinces me that your voice is the one that was missing from this discussion, and therefore I shall leave it to you, sir :)

 

 

 

LJ
Lee Jones
Mar 10, 2019
Support Services Group

Correction: I added Texas to the short list of statewide legislation that bans alarm companies from calling the police until after interaction with the customer first. The accurate short list = Georgia, Florida, Tennessee (more to come). It does NOT include Texas, however the Texas statewide legislation is similar because it specifically allows ALL Texas municipalities to independently enact near the same legislation as GA,FL,TN. The key word is statewide legislation that offers standardization and guidance to hundreds of municipalities within the State, without alarm association interference. Texas was the first State to adopt such restrictive legislation in 2005.
Source: Lee Jones; Support Services Group

U
Undisclosed #1
Mar 10, 2019
IPVMU Certified

I added Texas to the short list...The accurate short list = Georgia, Florida, Tennessee (more to come). It does NOT include Texas...

did you add Texas to the inaccurate short list, or?

LJ
Lee Jones
Mar 11, 2019
Support Services Group

Sorry for my confusion.  In another post to a different IPVM discussion, I listed Texas same as Georgia, Tennessee, Florida (short list).  That was my error.. Texas on different status list but similar, as noted above.  

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #2
Feb 28, 2019

The policies enacted by Silicon Valley seemed a bit too much to ask of most people, especially residential.

I don't see why a simple change to 2 zone trip verification instead wouldn't be a highly effective way to reduce false alarms but not be too demanding. 

(2)
U
Undisclosed #1
Mar 01, 2019
IPVMU Certified

I don't see why a simple change to 2 zone trip verification instead wouldn't be a highly effective way to reduce false alarms but not be too demanding.

Do you have an estimate of what percentage of valid alarms are only single zone?

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #2
Mar 01, 2019

No clue, but taking single zone trips out would cut out all of the false alarms caused by equipment malfunctions, loose doors, mice, etc... I would guess its a significant amount. 

(2)
U
Undisclosed #1
Mar 01, 2019
IPVMU Certified

No clue, but taking single zone trips out would cut out all of the false alarms...

I agree it would, but the (now abolished) video verification requirement presumably also cut out false alarms.  The problem was the ignored valid alarms.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #2
Mar 01, 2019

video verification is a great thing, but difficult in that it either requires active monitoring or hoping that someone with access can pull up live feed quick enough to verify or not, and even wake up to the call from central station to make them aware.

Im only saying that 2 trip verification is a great middle ground to help cut down "alot" of false alarms while still allowing for a "passive monitoring" ie. not requiring a home or business owner to act upon an alarm themselves before a dispatch can occur.

(2)
Avatar
Ari Erenthal
Mar 01, 2019
Chesapeake & Midlantic

Video verification sounds great until you tell the customer what it costs per month.

(1)
U
Undisclosed #3
Mar 01, 2019

...and if the customer already thinks that the response was baked in to the cost per month? (even though the monitoring company has no such contract with the local PD?)

Avatar
Ari Erenthal
Mar 01, 2019
Chesapeake & Midlantic

In order to make that work, you'd have to mandate that exterior devices be backed by interior devices, which would drive up the price of an awful lot of residential systems. Say goodbye to the volume resi business model...   

U
Undisclosed #1
Mar 01, 2019
IPVMU Certified

over time word of the policy would spread amongst the criminal element, inevitably leading to the couplets:

Trip one, have some fun,

Trip two, they come for you.