Overview of the problem

"Current industry initiatives focused on decreasing false alarm rates rely on 'second calls' and increasing fines for home and business owners. The security industry has taken a significant leap forward in terms of adopting new, technology-based solutions to help decrease the escalating costs being incurred by municipalities faced with managing false alarms, "The goal is not only to help reduce the number of false dispatches but also to enhance information about the source of the alarm event, without requiring an on-site witness."

Background and Scope of the Video Verification Standard

Verified response policies are being increasingly adopted by major metropolitan cities like Dallas, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Fremont, Calif. and dozens of others in the U.S. and Canada. This program requires human verification of a burglary or attempted break-in before police will respond. In other words, for owners of home or small business security systems, if the alarm is triggered at 2 a.m., without some sort of human or visual confirmation - the police aren't coming.

The verified response issue has strong opinions on either side of it. Most proponents are law enforcement officials, like Los Angeles Police Department Chief William Bratton, who cite high false alarm rates (some estimates cite that 94-99 percent of all alarms are false) are costing their cities valuable time and money. According to Modesto police, their department averages 800 burglar alarm reports per month, 99 percent of them false, which consumes the equivalent of five full-time officers and costs approximately $500,000 a year. Bratton has been quoted as estimating that as much as 15 percent of officers' time was being wasted by false alarms.

However, many cities that have adopted verified response have seen burglary rates jump, at least initially. For example, in Dallas, business burglaries in March 2006 increased 17.9 percent compared to March 2005. Similar increases in crime were also reported in Fremont and Salt Lake City within the first year of adopting verified response programs.

Most home and business owners recognize the dangers of having to verify an intruder themselves. However, there are new technologies that security monitoring companies can integrate with existing systems that use the Internet to send video feeds directly to the monitoring company once an alarm is triggered. The monitoring station personnel can use video surveillance cameras installed at the home or business to view "in real time" whether there is an actual break-in, and alert police.

"Most security industry experts agree that verifying an alarm signal by a monitoring central station will drastically reduce false dispatches, and result in more arrests.

U.S. Security Systems can facilitate delivery of a seamless and complete suite of video services over an Internet Protocol-based network and provide remote viewing software necessary to “verify the incident”

Key Benefits of Video Verification:

Video alarms give police, fire officials, and YOU real time information

Your monitoring station is waiting for these videos 24-hours a day

Video verification will help apprehend criminals while the crime is in progress

A video clip of an emergency event can help save lives

Video alarms help minimize false alarms and fines

Video services keep critical visual information off site and in safe hands

You’ll have instant video access to multiple locations

No PC is required on site

Satellite and cellular capabilities gives you wireless video freedom

Enjoy the peace of mind of having professionals manage your video

Verified alarms save time and money

U.S. Security Systems offers a flexible and retrofit solution

Video services provide a fast return on your security investment

Hardware Benefits

Seamless Integration
DVR Unit connects to any camera system, and to any alarm panel to provide video services such as Video Alarm Verification, Open / Close Reports and Scheduled Video Tours.

No Computer Required On-Site
All that is needed at the location is the DVR unit and a DSL/Cable/T1 line.
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No Need for Special Cameras
No need for special cameras, integrates with most CCTV Cameras.

Video Line Supervision
When the unit detects a video loss, it transmits the signal to your monitoring station.

Built-in Sequential Switching
Connect unit to a monitor and provide video switching between cameras on-site.

Viewing Software Included
Install the software on as many computers with no need to pay any licensing fees.

Find out if your existing equipment is compatible with the video verification application, by e-mailing videoverification@us-securitysystems.com