The Thirties

As business expanded into the outer suburbs of Sydney, a new form of transport was introduced – the Harley Davidson motorcycle. Soon the company owned more than fifty motorcycles with a full-time mechanic and purpose-built garage. Later, motorcycles were equipped with two-way radios, an impressive innovation at the time, allowing communications between the Head Office and each of the patrolmen around the city.

From 1939, bikes were slowly replaced with cars, the major consideration being safety as two patrol personnel had been fatally injured in motorcycle accidents. New radios allowed mobile patrolmen to talk between vehicles, a great leap forward in safety and response times.

In 1939, SNP implemented new alarm technology that was being developed in the United States, an advance on the older system which had simply recorded a signal at the base over a normal telephone line.

The actual detection mechanism was at this time very crude using “clips and springs” and “trip wires” to trigger an alarm. Back at base, the alarms were read on a meter indicating if the circuit was open or closed. These early alarms were then replaced by foil on windows which again detected any break in the glass and can be still seen on old premises, especially shops and commercial premises in country towns.

Despite being affected by the Great Depression, John Roche vowed to keep his staff employed and not one person was put off for any reason. The value of loyalty and commitment to staff well-being was instilled and this culture of family values exists today.

Next: The War Years (1940's)