**By Mark Wood, Portland Security Consultant**

Mark recently spent a week in Texas doing an in-depth workshop on Sonitrol products and services and how to help businesses get the best security for their money. Here’s what he took away from the experience.

To attend Sonitrol University took overcoming some major obstacles in the beginning.  For example, I had to understand why Sonitrol was the best security system in the market, comprehend why we have the loyalty of law enforcement, and most of all, I had to believe that Sonitrol was the only security system capable of protecting my clients’ most valuable possessions. Luckily, all three things came together after listening to an interview with Officer Andy Carter, from the Dallas/Fort Worth Texas Police Bureau, in October of 2013 at Sonitrol U.

“It’s exciting to catch burglars,” said Officer Carter. He went on to state that when officers are dispatched on a Sonitrol alarm, they drop everything and respond, because they know it is a verified alarm with an actual intrusion in progress. Therefore, police have the ability to apprehend the criminal while they are still on the sidewalk, before they gain entry into the business.  As a result, the company is unaffected by robbery, vandalism, or even arson, and is still able to open for business as usual the next day.

Officer Carter confirmed the fact that Sonitrol audio detection identifies the point of entry, what the intruders are saying and how it all adds up to an officer’s safety.   “What if with a loud alarm, the guy gets scared, and gets stuck in there and an officer gets shot?” he said.  “As a result, the building owner might own some of the liability.”

When officers spend time handling false alarms is it taxpayer dollars being wasted? Some Oregon communities such as Eugene are enforcing verified response policies.  Will Portland be next?

For Sonitrol security consultants like me, the bottom line is that when you see a police officer, take the time to give him your card and say “thank you.”   Even if you’re not in the security industry, participate in a police ride along on a Friday night, or buy some gauze and blood clot and put it in a Sonitrol police bag to give to an officer to celebrate an apprehension and a job well done…