Headlines in a small town

Nov 1, 2000 12:00 PM, Larry Anderson

Security equipment is doing its job in Euclid, Ohio. It's also doing its job in thousands of other communities and at thousands of companies throughout the country. I mention Euclid only because a specific example of how security equipment is doing its job there was recently brought to my attention, as reported in the Euclid Sun Journal newspaper.

You can tell a lot about a community from its newspaper, which plays a starring role in writing a community's history. Here is a sampling of what makes news in Euclid, Ohio:

"A Sycamore Drive resident reported that she found a boy's Magna bicycle on her front lawn. Police rescued the bike, tagged it and placed it in the property room."

Not earthshaking, but perhaps of interest to Euclid residents. Here's another one:

"Euclid police were called to a home because of loud noise and found that a TV was blaring. The officers asked the resident to lower the music and she did. But later, they had to return for the same reason."

OK, granted it was rather a slow news day. But also making headlines that day in Euclid was the security system at a local hospital. The story was right there in a pink box on the front page: "Police continue search for would-be baby thief." The story is about a 29-year-old man who attempted to leave Euclid Hospital's maternity floor with his newborn son. It seems county authorities had visited the 16-year-old mother at the hospital to discuss taking the baby away because of the mother's youthfulness. The police theorize that the father may have tried to take the baby to keep the county from gaining custody.

"The father went into the maternity area and put the child in a duffel bag," said Euclid Police Det. Russell Kucinski, according to the newspaper.

Here is the rest of the story, as reported in the Sun Journal: "A security system was activated, however, by a bracelet on the baby's ankle. Euclid Hospital spokesperson Debbie Petsche said activation of the security system automatically locks the doors to the stairways on the birthing floor, and keeps the elevator doors in an open position. When the suspect learned that his actions were known by hospital personnel, he got off the elevator and returned the baby to his crib, then ran from the floor."

It's a story with sad human interest elements, to be sure, but any time such a success story gets told, it's good news for our industry.

The nature of news is that when a crime is committed, it's bigger news than when a crime is prevented. And maybe successful security systems make bigger headlines at the small town level than they do nationally.

But the really good news is that all across this country, in places like Euclid, Ohio, and also in places like New York City, there is electronic equipment worth billions of dollars working every day to protect people and assets. It may go unnoticed until an event occurs, but it's a fact well worth mentioning.

Here is more good news from Euclid: "The system worked exactly as it was supposed to. It was the first time it was ever put to use."

Lewiston, Maine - Police went undercover at a Halloween costume party to bust 11 adults and three juveniles on drug trafficking charges. Officers with the Lewiston Police Department and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency dressed up in 1960s hippie costumes to blend in with a crowd partying at the Central Maine Civic Center, according to ABCNews.com. Police seized $3,000 in cash and a mix of drugs that included 104 hits of Ecstasy, 59 hits of LSD, a quarter ounce of cocaine, 24 baggies of ketamine, a vial of PCP, a cigarette dipped in PCP, and two marijuana cigarettes.

Washington - Four out of five Americans doubt the U.S. government's ability to maintain computer security and privacy, according to a survey conducted for the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA). Forty-six percent of respondents said they are "very concerned" and 35 percent said they are "somewhat concerned" that government-held data about them might be misused some day, according to Reuters. Also, 72 percent of the respondents said they would not feel safe signing a contract over the Internet using a "secure digital signature." The nationwide telephone poll was carried out among 1,000 adults by Fabrizio, McLaughlin Associates.

Irving, Texas - Brink's Home Security technician David Maikell was recently named Professional Alarm Technician of the Year for helping save an Arlington, Texas family from a devastating tornado. In March, Maikell was completing a routine service call at a customer's home in Arlington when he saw a funnel cloud in the area. He advised the homeowners and their teenaged daughter to go into the bathroom for protection. Mailkell held onto the bathroom doorknob throughout the ordeal, and when it was over, he ventured out first to make sure it was safe. Maikell was commended by Arlington police officers for his actions.

Baton Rouge, La. - Baton Rouge police made Halloween more trick than treat for several college students. At least eight students were facing theft charges after being caught with more than 350 pumpkins and other Halloween decorations taken from homes in the southern part of the city, according to Reuters. Baton Rouge police arrested the students, believed to be freshmen at Louisiana State University, and charged them with theft and illegal possession of stolen goods. Besides pumpkins, the students took 24 scarecrows, nine ghosts, eight skeletons, one straw broom, and plastic jack-o'-lanterns.

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