Frequently Asked Questions

The other companies rely on easily compromised technology, such as motion sensors and door contacts. These older, less effective systems have a remarkable 98-percent false alarm rate.

Sonitrol operators can actually hear and see what is going on before criminals actually enter. Our operators do this through our verified audio and video monitoring programs. Once an alarm is detected, Sonitrol verifies the source of the alarm and either resets it or sends in the law enforcement.

The truth is... no they don't. Police do not prioritize, or even respond, to other alarm systems. 

They do, however, prioritize Sonitrol alarms. 

When our system identifies a problem at your facility, our operators can determine the nature of the disturbance and either reset the alarm or contact the police immediately. And because Sonitrol systems are verified, our average police response time in North America is 3.5 minutes.

Why so fast?

Other alarm companies detect an intrusion after the criminals are already inside your premises, if at all. Their operator - who may be managing as many as 15,000 systems simultaneously - sees a red light indicating a problem at your facility, and then calls your business to see if anyone will answer the phone. Most criminals will not answer your telephone. The monitoring station then calls you to ask what you think they should do next. At this point you must decide if you want to risk the 'False Alarm' fine, or drive down to the store or warehouse in the wee hours to see if there is a burglary in progress.

Since 1977, with our police partnerships, we have assisted with the capture of over 187,000 criminals. That's why Sonitrol is the best alarm system out there and we have a 'Gaurantee and Commitment to Service' to back up our claim.

Unlike other companies in the business, Sonitrol verifies the source of an alarm at the outset, enabling us to keep false alarms to an absolute minimum. We have a less than 3-percent false alarm record. Conventional alarms have a greater than 98-percent false alarm rate. You be the judge.

The police take our calls seriously because they know our alarms are real. Sonitrol systems are regarded by law enforcement as witnessed events because we can provide police with intelligent, verified information. Police rate us a Priority 1 dispatch.

Based on a minimum monitoring contract, the average residential or small business security system is virtually free. We call them front door - back door - glass breaks. And you usually get exactly what you pay for. Sonitrol commercial clients may pay a small surcharge for our verified video security system simply because our advanced technology works. We win 90-percent of the tendered contracts we compete for, so we believe we are priced competitively.

Some homes do contract our services, but they are the exception. Unless you have a gun collection, or expensive art collection or are home to something equally rare or valuable, you would be better off buying a pet to watch over your home.