In Maryland, Another County Law to Require CCTV in Shopping Centers

April 18, 2005
Proposed law would require CCTV at larger shopping centers and mall parking lots

Proving that neighboring counties are likely to follow the actions of their neighbors, Anne Arundel County in Maryland, which includes the city of Annapolis, Md., has proposed a law that, like Baltimore County, Md., would require CCTV in parking lots.

The proposed law, which will undergo a public hearing on May 2, 2005, is patterned almost directly off of Baltimore County, Md.'s recently approved law that requires shopping centers with 15 or more commercial retailers to operate surveillance on at least 75 percent of their parking lots.

The law would require that recorded video be stored for at least three days and that copies of that video would be made available to police upon request. Businesses would have 18 months to comply with the law.

The law has received protest from the business community, many of whom have invested in other forms of security, such as guard services, and are concerned about the costs.

Council Chairman Ron Dillon Jr. has said he plans on meeting with CCTV companies this month to discuss the installation and operating costs that businesses would have to pay if the law is enacted.