Law Enforcement Join PPVAR’s Video Verification Committee

By Ashley Willis

CHICAGO — The Partnership for Priority Video Alarm Response (PPVAR) has formed a new committee to develop video verification best practices between central stations and public safety answering points (PSAPs).

Started in 2012, PPVAR focuses on combatting false alarm dispatches, property crime and increasing arrest rates using verified video alarms. Its representatives range from members of the electronic security industry, law enforcement and the insurance industry.

United Central Control’s Director of Information Technology Mark McCall will chair the video verification group that will feature two segments: basic and high-end video verification. Within those divisions, members will discuss video verification installation best practices, as well as improving video verification scripts between central stations and PSAPs.

As many as five law enforcement officers will serve on the committee, including two representatives from the Phoenix Police Department, one from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, and two from the Chicago Office of Emergency Management.

Although the Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA) already has a video verification standard in place, one thing that is lacking is participation from law enforcement, says PPVAR Law Enforcement Liaison Keith Jentoft. With the formation of the new committee, PPVAR hopes to work with CSAA to help update the video verification standard.

“Most of the best practices and standards that we have created as an industry have not included law enforcement’s input,” Jentoft tells SSI. “And law enforcement has some ideas on installation and communication because they see what happens in real life at the PSAP and how it’s communicated to officers in the field.”

PPVAR plan to finish developing best practices by next year’s ESX trade show. To reach this goal, the video verification committee currently holds monthly conference calls with its members. By January, the group will meet every other week.

In addition, three state trade associations have joined PPVAR, including the Arizona Alarm Association (AzAA), the Illinois Electronic Security Association (IESA) and the Nevada Security Association (NSA). Axis Communications has also joined the organization as a silver associate member.

Ashley Willis is associate editor for SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION magazine. She can be reached at (310) 533-2419.

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