SIAC Recognizes 2 Towns for Reducing Alarm Dispatches

At a Lexington, S.C., city council meeting (left to right) Patrolman First Class Ryan Whitlock, Mayor Steve MacDougall, Glen Mowrey, Chief Terrence Green, Lt. Matt Timmerman, Major Matt Davis, and Lt. Thomas Stowe accept the SIAC Director’s Award of Distinction.

The Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC) awarded its Director’s Award of Distinction to St. Cloud, Fla., and to Lexington, S.C., for the cities’ work to reduce alarm dispatches.

The city of St. Cloud, Fla., and its police department received SIAC’s Director’s Award of Distinction and the Alarm Association of Florida’s (AAF) Alarm Management Award for its work in reducing alarm dispatches. The city reported a 67 percent reduction in dispatches in the first 12 months of its project.

St. Cloud Police Chief Pete Gauntlett was given SIAC’s Award of Distinction for his work on this project, along with the Alarm Association of Florida (AAF) Alarm Management Award. The awards were presented to Chief Gauntlett and the city of St. Cloud during a recent city council meeting.

SIAC’s Glen Mowrey and the Alarm Association of Florida representatives worked with the St. Cloud Police Department staff, city staff and the city attorney’s office on the project.

Stan Martin, SIAC executive director, said, “In the case of St. Cloud, this positive outcome benefits the police department, the local community and our industry, and demonstrates that well-implemented alarm management practices provide the intended results — fewer dispatches.”

SIAC also presented the town of Lexington, S.C., and its police department with the Director’s Award of Distinction for its work in reducing alarm dispatches. The town reduced its alarm dispatches by 46 percent, freeing up officers for community policing activities and problem-solving projects. The award was presented to Chief Terence Green and staff and the town of Lexington during a recent town council meeting.

SIAC and representatives from the South Carolina Police Chiefs Association’s (SCPCA) Alarm Management Committee worked with the Lexington Police Department staff and the city attorney’s office, using SCPCA’s Model Alarm Ordinance to reduce the alarm dispatch requests.

Green said, “We feel very good about the success of our alarm management program and the results we’ve realized and look forward to even greater reductions in the future. Our partnership with the Security Industry Alarm Coalition and the SCPCA alarm management committee has certainly aided us in reducing our alarm dispatches.”