PARTNERSHIP FOR
PRIORITY VIDEO
ALARM RESPONSE
Steve Dye, Chief of Police
Grand Prairie Police Department
Traditional Burglar Alarms
• Typically, over 98% of alarm calls are
False Alarms
• Police apprehension rates on traditional
alarm responses are normally less than
1%
• Technological advances can now enhance
police alarm responses – and increase
arrests
What is a Video Intrusion
Alarm?
• Battery-powered wireless alarm
• Apple-sized motion viewer detects a
break-in with an infrared motion sensor
• Onboard camera sends a 10-second video
clip of intruder to an alarm monitoring
station (via the cell network or IP network)
for immediate action
Video Intrusion Alarm
Activations
1. Alarm signal with video
clip is transmitted to a
monitoring station
2.Operator filters video, confirms
if an intruder may be present
and calls owner (two calls)
3.Operator immediately calls
police on obvious or confirmed
criminal activity and e-mails
video for a priority response
Police Department Response
• Police Officers can be immediately
dispatched and receive real-time
updates (i.e. suspect and vehicle
descriptions, direction of travel)
• Video can be sent to squad cars so
that responding officers have a
visual description of suspects prior
to arrival
• Not intended to eliminate two-call
verification, by monitoring
companies, but to expedite
responses based upon video
confirmation
Public-Private Partnerships
• High level of Community Policing through:
– Achieving:
• Enhanced Safety
• Crime Deterrence and Increased Apprehensions
• Reduction in Property Losses
– Partnering with stakeholders:
•
•
•
•
Police
Homeowners and Business Owners
Insurance Companies
Alarm Providers
• Utilizes latest technology to maximize
public and private resources
Alarm Partners on Board
Diebold – Protection 1 - Stanley
Insurance Discounts
Additional Benefits
• Reduces False Alarms
• No cost to law enforcement
• Also affordable for the residential
consumers and small businesses (existing
systems can be upgraded)
• Increased arrests result in fewer losses
Additional Benefits
• Insurance rates can potentially be lowered
for policyholders
• Security companies have access to many
video intrusion alarm systems – none are
unique
• Alarm companies have ability to monitor
many types of video intrusion alarm
systems
Video Intrusion Alarms are
NOT Surveillance
• This is an incremental step in technology
doing exactly what intrusion alarms and
monitoring stations have always done “Detect and Notify”
• Video intrusion alarm systems go beyond
traditional “Detect and Notify” practices to
provide visual confirmation of what caused
the alarm
Video Intrusion Alarms are:
• NOT to identify an intruder
• NOT 24/7 surveillance video
• NOT to provide "live video" on demand
• NOT self-monitored by the consumer
• MONITORED by a qualified monitoring station
GPPD Response to Video
Intrusion Alarms
• Revised policy to burglar alarms will
optimize limited public safety resources
• Video Intrusion Alarm Responses will be
handled as higher priority, “in-progress”
calls
• Dispatch process can be initiated while
video is being received
• Policy on responding to all other alarm
calls will NOT change
Video Alarm Response
Case Studies
• Detroit Public Schools
– 70% Apprehension Rate
• Initial Texas Studies
– Apprehension Rate of over 25%
• California Studies
– Apprehension Rates of 19% or higher vs. 0.08% on traditional
alarms
• 5-Year Vendor Study
–
–
–
–
–
–
Verified Video Alarms Total Dispatches Needless Dispatches Real Criminal Activity Arrests False Alarm Rate -
40,613
165
93 (Most were visitors to premises)
72
45 out of 72 (63%)
0.23%
Response Differentials
• Unverified traditional alarm response
– Chula Vista, CA
Grand Prairie, TX
19:18 minutes
15:00 minutes
• Video Verified alarm response
– Chula Vista, CA
– Grand Prairie, TX
5:05 minutes
1:55 minutes
• Differentials
– Chula Vista, CA
– Grand Prairie, TX
14:13 minutes
13:05 minutes
International Association of Chiefs of
Police (IACP) - Police Chief Magazine
Partnerships In
Fighting Property Crime