Constitutional crusader aids alarm industry Brief
By SSN Staff
Updated Mon January 1, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO--Fremont insurance executive Dennis Wolfe attended the December California Alarm Association convention here as a special guest. Unbeknownst to the alarm industry, Wolfe two years ago took the Fremont City Council to court for violating the open meeting law. Appalled at the council's violation, he pursued the case as a private citizen.
It's coincidence that the issue at hand was the decision to adopt a verified response policy. "Some nights I thought to myself, 'Am I crazy to do this?' It really was the principle of the thing," Wolfe said.
Wolfe won his case in November; in December, the State Court of Appeals denied the City Council's appeal. Wolfe did not accept any funds from the alarm industry. While he didn't pursue the case for the alarm industry, he's learned about how this case may help in the future.
"The alarm industry can use this [precedent-setting] case to talk to any police chief and say we're willing to work with you on a verified response policy, but it needs to be done in public view."
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