Tennessee to Follow “Alarming” Trend
- By Ralph C. Jensen
- Jun 15, 2007
TENNESSEE has become the second state in the country to follow a new trend to implement
enhanced call verification, which is being heralded as a modern solution to
redirecting police resources. Gov. Phil Bredesen has signed the ECV bill into
law, which means the entire state must follow the dual verification plan before
law enforcement is dispatched to a location.
Florida began the trend last year in an effort to reduce false dispatches. According to
Glen Mowrey, national law enforcement liaison for the Security Industry Alarm
Coalition, most agencies have had limited success with other policies in the
past, but the proliferation of cell phones has made ECV the best solution for
the future.
ECV is based on the rationale that alarm companies can be
more effective in identifying false alarms by simply calling a second phone
number for verification, if the first call goes unanswered. ECV and a solution
of best practices from the alarm industry can reduce dispatches by more than 70
percent, and by so doing, will allow law enforcement to save limited resources
and redirect officers to more pressing needs.
The fact is, public agencies do have limited resources. By
following the ECV protocol, officers will now be able to spend their time more
efficiently instead of responding to false burglar alarms.
More impressive is the fact that the Tennessee Burglar and
Fire Alarm Association is already on board and working with municipalities to
implement local ECV policies. The TBFAA is to be commended for its quick
response and cooperative efforts.
The Tennessee Senate and House also are to be applauded for
passing the legislation unanimously and garnering a solid endorsement from law
enforcement. It’s a strong partnership in the making, and 48 other states need
to review and implement this worthwhile program.
About the Author
Ralph C. Jensen is the Publisher/Editor in chief of Security Today magazine.