By Pamela Singleton, Sonitrol Pacific Director of Communications
Posted January 20, 2009

One of the cool aspects of my position with Sonitrol Pacific is getting to listen to the raw audio after an arrest incident at one of our protected sites. Generally, these events unfold in a similar way – the suspects make a noise that activates the audio, they shuffle around trying to be as quiet as possible while they look for items of value to them to steal, police arrive and the suspects attempt to escape arrest, a K9 unit tracks them down (sometimes suspects push their luck, prompting the dog to bite), the suspect(s) are arrested and the clients’ property is returned.

However, from time to time, suspects break from tradition and a gem of an audio clip crosses my desk.

Such was the case with a recent event at a Sonitrol Pacific protected school December 23.

First, the two individuals involved were probably the chattiest intruders I’ve ever heard. From the time they activated the audio sensors to the moment police arrived, the system recorded them talking nonstop. You can listen to a little bit of their conversation.

Second, they managed to talk nonstop about nothing. At one point, they engaged in a heated debate as to whether they were in a kindergarten classroom or a third grade classroom.

Third, this event took place during our recent “Snowpocalypse” (or “Snowmageddon”, I can’t decide which label I prefer). While listening to the pointless chit chat, I couldn’t figure out why these two put out all the effort to trudge through the ice and snow to break into a school and have a sit down.

When police arrived, they found marijuana along with the two intruders … making their odd behavior make a little more sense.

Let that be a lesson to the kids out there … don’t break into a grade school to get stoned. You may end up being recorded bragging about how you out-smarted the security system 10 seconds before officers burst in and order you onto the ground. Not very clever.