It has been estimated that 94% to 99% of burglar alarm activations are false. This is a huge number, especially when you think about all the issues with false alarms – strain on local law enforcement and the chance that at any time the police may be dealing with a false alarm, rather than a true emergency.

With the impact of these false alarms, there are many jurisdictions that now impose fines on businesses that have too many false alarms in each period. The fines range from $25 to $100 for the first false alarm but go up quickly after several false alarms have occurred.

While prevent false alarms completely will likely never be possible, there are some steps you can take to help reduce their occurrence. One of these tips is to implement video verification.

Getting to Know Video Verification
Video verification is part of a video surveillance system that will replace a traditional alarm function by providing intelligent alerts that include a signal coming from the intrusion devices along with live video or clips that were recently recorded. The video can be sent via the internet to a CMS that is monitored by employees or a security company. The staff at the CMS will then review what is on the video to determine if police intervention is needed. If so, the staff will make the call.

Another benefit of video verification is that it is possible to provide much more information about the break in to the police. This includes the name and address of the business, how many intruders, where they gained access, and more. This makes the situation easier for the police to handle, too.

Benefits Offered by Video Verification
With video verification in place, you have fact-based responses that provide you with more value from your alarm infrastructure. Along with reducing or eliminating the potential fines for multiple false alarms, with a video surveillance system that includes video verification capabilities, you may also be able to reduce your business’s insurance costs and liability.

If you haven’t thought about implementing this technology, now is the time to do so. It offers an array of benefits that will help to improve your business’s security while reducing the likelihood of issues related to false alarms.