SecureWatch24 hires Colgan and Santamorena to its team

SecureWatch 24 (SW24), a leading private security firm offering an unmatched combination of technology and experienced law-enforcement personnel, has added two new members to its executive team. Joining the firm are John Colgan as VP, government and corporate relations, and Frank Santamorena as VP, business development. Colgan, a 28-year veteran of the N.Y.C. Police Department (NYPD), retired in 2008 at the rank of assistant chief. In his last assignment within the NYPD, he served as commanding officer of the Counterterrorism Bureau, overseeing the joint terrorism task force and all citywide counterterrorism Initiatives within the purview of the NYPD. Additionally, Colgan led all risk assessment, threat reduction/infrastructure protection and counterterrorism training activities for the department. Santamorena is a certified physical security professional (PSP) with more than 20 years experience working in all phases of physical building security. Santamorena has served as security expert and advisor on the hit Discovery Channel program "It Takes a Thief," developing and coordinating security makeovers on 80 episodes. Since beginning his security career as crew chief on a jet fighter in the U.S. Air Force, Santamorena has brought his expertise to more than half a dozen firms specializing in security products and services. "What sets SW24 apart from the average security firm is our combination of cutting-edge technology with the most experienced and knowledgeable security and law enforcement professionals in the world," said Desmond Smyth, president and co-founder of SW24. "John and Frank are tremendous additions to both our business and security operations. We are thrilled to have them both on the SW24 team." In March, the firm announced its expansion from multi-family housing to schools, hospitals and other institutions. Since it was founded in 2004, SW24 has revolutionized the private security industry by offering property owners and managers cost-effective security products and 24-hour surveillance systems that pair emerging digital technology with an investigative staff and mobile response teams of former local and federal law enforcement personnel. SW24 provides clients with 24-hour, remote access to a DVR database of web footage from their properties through a secure website. The SW24 database is among the largest available online, serviced by one of the most extensive internet camera networks in the country - 14,000 cameras in over a thousand properties around the city. The firm's proprietary video compression algorithms offer crisp, clear images - some of the highest-resolution video images in the industry. The firm's team of investigators brings centuries of law enforcement expertise acquired over the past 20 years from units such as the NYPD's major case squad, narcotics and gangs divisions, city-wide vandals squad, terrorism task force, crime scene unit and others. SW24 has identified and helped resolve thousands of incidents - ranging from illegal narcotics activities to arson, vandalism and even homicide - in the properties it monitors. Clients that utilize a SW24 system can expect to see a dramatic reduction in criminal activity during the first year the system is in use. This reduction in crime, allows residents to reap the benefits of a safe and secure living situation, and they can take comfort in the knowledge that appropriate action will be taken should a criminal event occur. Through its extensive network of high-end digital color cameras, SW24 is able to produce uninterrupted data that can be transmitted directly to a property's broadband Internet service 24 hours a day. Clients have the option to view several locations simultaneously, and record from multiple cameras per location. Off-site notifications via e-mail, pager, phone, or direct connection are also available. If there is suspicion that a criminal event has occurred, an SW24 team will thoroughly investigate a criminal or civil incident on behalf of the property owner or manager by using video and investigative techniques, interacting with local law enforcement, preparing a comprehensive report and in most cases, bring a favorable conclusion to the client. The firm's renowned criminal investigators from local and federal agencies have spent years working cooperatively with property ownership and management throughout metropolitan areas such as New York City.