Security and Election Day

I expected to learn lots of new things when I started writing about the security industry, but I didn't expect to start looking at mid-term elections from a security angle.

But a recent comment from Ackerman Security Systems CEO Jim Callahan about that Atlanta-based company's new branch in Beltsville, Md., which opened in May to serve customers in the Washington, D.C. area, has made me do just that.

Callahan said Washington's revolving election cycle is one reason that Ackerman, one of the nation's top providers of residential and commercial security, decided to open the office.

Callahan noted the area is full of affluent, well-educated professionals who come and go every two to four years as the administration of the federal government changes with elections. The area has a high crime rate, so the newcomers tend to seek out security systems.

So, whoever ends up in control of Congress after Nov. 2, security companies in the D.C. area will be the winners.

On another election note, a recent issue of the CASIA (Connecticut Alarm & Systems Integrators Association) Communicator suggests some questions for those in the industry to pose to candidates. Although the article in the September 2010 issue is focused on Connecticut, some of the questions could be asked of election candidates in any state. They include:

*Will they support or oppose additional taxes on individuals or businesses?

*How will they assist employers in providing affordable health insurance for employees?

*Do they support efforts to stimulate the economy by reducing the regulatory burden on employers, such as addressing permitting delays?

*How will they help businesses reduce energy costs and increase energy reliability?