The Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC) Directors Award of Distinction for Excellence in Alarm Management was presented to the Atlanta Police Department during a December Command Staff Meeting. The Atlanta Police Department using the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police (GACP) Model Alarm Ordinance reduced their alarm calls by 56.9 percent over a four-year period, dropping alarm dispatches from 65,000 calls annually to 28,000 — a reduction of 37,000 calls, netting 11.74 officers.

The award was presented by Chief Dan Flynn of the Marietta, Ga., Police Department and chair of the GACP Alarm Management Committee, and by SIAC National Law Enforcement Liaison Glen Mowrey.  Chief of Police Erika Shields stated, “The reduction in alarm dispatches is significant for us and allows our officers to engage in additional community and crime prevention initiatives. We’ve worked with the alarm industry through the GACP’s Alarm Management Committee in developing our alarm program, and we look forward to our continued partnership with the committee and the industry in achieving greater results in the future.”

Chief Dan Flynn, GACP Alarm Management Committee chair, said, “The Atlanta Police Department, being the major law enforcement agency in the state, is an excellent example of developing an effective alarm reduction program, and the committee commends Chief Shields and their leadership.”