Slatterly Park Neighborhood Association

Official Crime Alert

Rochester Police
Department Crime Prevention

To request more
information please e-mail the incident number to lrecords@rochestermn.gov 

Special Alert sent on
July 28, 2014

  During the past week the
police department has received numerous complaints about door to door salesmen
selling alarm systems.Currently,  there are 27 people in town selling
alarm systems and have “peddler’s permits” through the city clerk’s
office.  The city is revoking three of those permits from the complaints .
If you have complaints please call the police department’s non-emergency number
328-6800 and report it.

 Benefits of Using a
Local Security Company

1.  The owners and employees live in your community and have a personal
desire to do a good job in the community. They are engaged and invested and
support your community. They will provide a high  level of service because
it is important to have a good reputation.
1.  When you work with a local company you know they will be there if you
have an issue,you know exactly where to find them. You know you can drive over
and walk into their office and see someone.  There is a higher level of
expectation for service when the company is local.
1.  Choosing a local company to provide your security and monitor your
alarm system is important because they work with the local Law Enforcement
Centers and Fire Departments to respond to calls and  actively work with
them to prevent nuisance alarms from taking time from the police and fire
departments unnecessarily.
1.  A local security company knows where you are when you call. They know
the name of your town (large or small) and know where it is located. They
monitor LOCAL weather conditions. They are up to  speed with what is going
on in your community, weather, crimes, and other community related issues so
they can provide the best service.
1.  A local company typically deals with a smaller number of customers
than the large national security companies. Dealing with a smaller number of
customers allows the security company to get to know  their customers. And
the customer get to know the company, when they call they can request to talk
to the person who has helped them before, not a different person every time.
This allows the company to provide a higher and more personal level of service.

What to Consider When
Choosing a Security Company

1.  Look for a local company with a good reputation, one that is willing
to share testimonials and offer references. Look at how long they have been in
business. If a company has a solid foundation  and has been in business
for a long time it would suggest they won’t disappear anytime soon.
1.  Make sure the company has proof of applicable state and/or local
licenses and is bonded and insured. They should be responsible for repairs if
any damage occurs on your property when they are installing  your home
security system.
1.  Look for a full service company one that can design, sell, install,
service, inspect and monitor your system. Some companies install the system
then sell your account to someone else. When there  is a problem it is
more difficult to troubleshoot when you are dealing with two separate
companies. With one company, the people who installed the system are just down
the hall from the people who are monitoring the system or providing service.
All the players  talk to each other and if there is a question on your account
they can all work together.
1.  Make sure the company providing your monitoring is UL® (Underwriters
Laboratories) listed. These standards are extensive and very strict; this
organization sends a representative to inspect annually  keeping the
monitoring station on the top of their game. A UL listed monitoring station has
built in redundancies and back ups in place for unexpected power outages.
1.  Look for a company that offers 24-hour service. Bottom of Form
1.  Look for a company that has longevity with their employees and has a
pre-hiring process in place like a background check and/or drug test screening.
1.  When someone comes into your home to sell you a product, you have a 3 day
grace period to cancel any contract you sign. Make sure you read through any
paperwork so you know what to do in the event  you want to cancel within
the three days of signing the contract.
1.  Know the right questions to ask such as: where is the system
monitored? Does the monitoring company know if my system stops testing/working?
Does the monitoring station know if one of my sensors  stop working and do
they contact me?