EnTrends

as opposed to 90% and 10% in the
beginning. In the commercial realm,
SDS works with governmental,
industrial, and small business clients.
Petrillo says that technology in his
line of work is constantly changing,
especially with access control and
remote video technology. Therefore,
a majority of his company's expense
stems from training in these areas.

in January of 1979. His new company
was called Security Design Systems
(SDS).

As the business grew, Petrillo put all
the revenue that he earned back into
the company and paid off his
lenders. He continued to work for the
Sheriff's Department and run his
business on the side. Because no
proprietary information was being
used, he was able to continue
working at both jobs. When enough
business had been generated, Petrillo
left the Sheriff's Department to
nurture his growing company.

Petrillo moved conservatively into
each new area of his business. In the
beginning, he started out in
residential security system design
because the market was new to
California. He and his technicians,
along with project managers,
completed home security systems for
about two years before moving into
small commercial work.

Deputy Sheriff for thirteen years,
Petrillo gained vast experience
working in communities that were
saturated with gang warfare criminal
activity. Although he thoroughly
enjoyed protecting the community,
Petrillo longed for another outlet to
his talents.

He earned a Bachelor of Science
degree in Business Administration
and completed coursework to earn
his Masters of Arts degree in Public
Administration from Pepperdine
University. All the while, he
continued to cultivate his
entrepreneurial feelings while
working for the Sheriff's Department.

In 1978, Petrillo expressed his
feelings to friends and they
suggested that he utilize his
experience as a Deputy Sheriff to
start a security company. Petrillo
liked the idea and began planning a
venture. He and his wife invited a
group of their friends, family and
associates, many who had vast
business experience, to their home
for consultation. Petrillo was able to
raise $50,000 to start his business.

Next, Petrillo asked a friend of his, a
retired L.A.P.D. officer, to be his
attorney, and he recruited his
personal accountant to keep track of
his business finances. Finally,
Petrillo leased a small office space in
San Gabriel and opened his doors

Due to his background as a Deputy
Sheriff working in high crime areas,
clients trusted Petrillo's ability to
outthink criminals, but he had to
acquire the necessary technical
knowledge through hands-on
experience. "Everything I could get
my hands on, I read. I understood
the technology, but not being an
engineering mind, I wanted to know
exactly what my technicians were
doing in the field. I may not have
know how to do the installation, but I
knew how the overall job was to be
done properly."

Currently, SDS's work involves 70%
commercial and 30% residential work,

As experts in protecting property
and individuals, SDS also provides
security training to its clientele.
Petrillo says that one of the most
important things for people to do is
to be on the lookout for general
patterns of behavior that are not
appropriate. These patterns can
occur at banks, airports, parking lots,
and many other public places.

Petrillo himself has addressed
members of Congress regarding
issues within the security industry
and the U.S. Justice Department has
consulted him about the protection
of governmental personnel and
property. Petrillo has also developed
his own unique personality profiling
system for deciphering the motives
of criminals. This profile was a
product of studies he has conducted
over the years with such menacing
criminals as Charles Manson.