Known today for catching criminals, Sonitrol started out catching a different kind of pest.

A Heritage of Technical Innovation

First Sonitrol Monitoring Station – Anderson, IN

Back in the late 1950’s in Anderson, Indiana, a man named Robert Baxter began installing microphones inside walls to find termites. By moving the microphones around, he was able to not only hear the pests but also pinpoint their location.

Baxter came up with the name “Sonitrol” by combining “sound” and “control.” On June 16, 1960, Sonitrol officially became a business, and Baxter began to manufacture and market his innovations.

Partnered with the police from the beginning

In 1963, Baxter met Al Cronk, a police officer who also owned a security alarm company. As a police officer, Al Cronk was tired of security alarm systems that sent lots of false alarms and rarely caught the thieves. He hired Baxter to help create better security alarm technology. Baxter responded with the audio sensor, and Sonitrol was born as a security company.

Sonitrol spreads across America

Today, over 50 years later, Sonitrol provides custom business and home security services in over 180 cities across the United States and Canada. Now the third largest commercial security company in North America, Sonitrol is the clear leader in verified electronic security, with over 177,000 apprehensions.