Our Verification Center has been apprehension central lately.  We love being busy like this, though– it means that more criminals are off the street and our clients are safe and secure.

At 3:42 a.m. today, Jessica received audio from the back area of a Portland advertising agency with glass breaking, crashing and banging. She dispatched Portland police and continued to hear small bangs for about a minute. Then, she heard more crashing and movement inside. Police arrived, found a man trying to escape with a computer in his hands and took him into custody, but it is likely that there was another suspect who got away in a vehicle.

Interestingly, this was the third break-in that the ad agency has experienced in a short amount of time. The office originally opened without a security system, but after the first break-in, one of our security consultants met with the business owner and designed a custom security solution for the space. Before the Sonitrol Pacific system was installed there was another break-in. The owner estimated that the losses from the first two incidents totaled $80,000.

Barely 30 minutes after Jessica dispatched police in Portland, Kris received audio from clattering noises followed by movement at Bill’s Blueprint in Everett, which has been a Sonitrol Pacific customer for decades. As Kris was dispatching, she received motion activations from inside. The dispatch called back and asked for a responder to come to the site as it was clear that there had been a forced entry into the building and that someone was still inside.

When police and K-9 entered, they found items staged next to the door and the suspect hiding in the bathroom. When the suspect refused to come out, the K-9 went to work.The suspect is now in custody.

With remote viewing apps, DVR surveillance and motion-viewing cameras, it’s easy to forget how powerful audio-based intrusion detection can be.

Last night’s apprehensions were a great reminder that Sonitrol Pacific’s proprietary audio systems still provide top-notch security for businesses and homes, just as they have since 1978.