Why SIAC Says Verified Response Is a Dangerous Experiment
This letter is submitted in response to the recent article “Reimagining Alarm Response.” While the article raises our shared concerns about law enforcement resources, it creates an incomplete picture of both the direction of national policy when it comes to verified response and the success of the long-standing partnership between the alarm industry and public safety agencies.
The Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC) was created more than 20 years ago by the four major North American alarm associations — Electronic Security Association (ESA), Security Industry Association (SIA), The Monitoring Association (TMA; formerly CSAA) and Canadian Security Association (CANASA) — to serve as the industry’s single voice on alarm management issues. Since its founding, SIAC has worked directly with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), National Sheriffs’ Association and state law enforcement groups to develop effective, balanced alarm-management policies nationwide.
The foundation is stronger than ever
Contrary to the claim that a “50-year industry foundation is crumbling,” the core public-safety partnership that built the alarm industry remains intact and highly effective.
False alarms have declined dramatically nationwide thanks to data-driven best practices and model ordinances developed jointly by SIAC, IACP and the National Sheriffs’ Association.
There is also no national movement toward verified response. Since 2020, to our knowledge, only Seattle and two small departments out of the nation’s approximately 18,000 public safety agencies have adopted such a policy, while cities including Dallas, Phoenix, Tucson, Charlotte, Portland, Denver and Los Angeles have rejected or repealed it.
Smarter ordinances, not punitive fines
The claim that “punitive fines are killing system usage” ignores the progress achieved through fair, transparent and collaborative alarm-management programs. SIAC’s Model Alarm Ordinance used in hundreds of communities grants grace for first-time mistakes, applies escalating fines only to chronic offenders and provides clear appeals and registration processes.
This approach has successfully reduced false dispatches by 50% or more without discouraging citizens from arming their systems. Data show that properly structured ordinances enhance compliance and preserve confidence in police response.
Where verified response is appropriate
SIAC fully supports the concept of verified response but only for chronic abusers, with local law enforcement determining the definition of “chronic” based on community needs and experience. Chronic abusers represent only a tiny portion of alarm systems with most alarm site generating no calls for service in any given year.
Guard response hasn’t been the answer
The idea of “Uberizing” alarm response by sending private security instead of trained law-enforcement officers may sound innovative, but experience proves otherwise.
In verified-response cities, citizens and business owners often respond to alarms themselves rather than hiring private guards an extremely dangerous trend.
During Dallas’s brief verified response experiment, two business owners who went to investigate their own alarm were brutally attacked and beaten by a burglar, an incident caught on surveillance video and one of the key reasons the city repealed verified response.
No mobile-app dispatch system can replicate the training, authority and coordination that sworn officers provide when confronting criminals in progress.
Collaboration over confrontation
SIAC’s philosophy remains clear: work with communities. By fostering collaboration among alarm companies, users and law enforcement, SIAC has helped cities cut false alarms without negatively impacting public safety. Regular reviews, community outreach and ongoing education keep systems effective, compliant and trusted.
The bottom line
The future of alarm response is not privatization, it is partnership. Cities that follow the SIAC model enjoy fewer false alarms, faster response times and safer neighborhoods. Working together, the alarm industry and law enforcement can protect both public safety resources and the citizens they serve without forcing anyone to risk their life responding to their own alarm.
Steve Keefer, Executive Director, Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC)