City Camera Law Works

About 20 months ago the Northern California city of El Cerrito enacted an ordinance requiring certain businesses to install and maintain a video surveillance system. The idea was to have access to the video to help deter, stop and prosecute crimes. Go here for more information on the ordinance.

The idea started years ago, but came to a head when the city’s homicide rate (normally about one a year) shot up to three murders in one year.

So far, El Cerrito police commander Michael Regan says that compliance has been good. He said that businesses had a year to comply and with rare exception almost all have systems up and working.

“Compliance has been pretty good,” he said. “We only had about two percent that were problematic.”

He said the city is still working with those businesses to bring them into compliance. Surprisingly enough, Regan says that for the most part smaller businesses have been more compliant and easier to work with.

“With the larger retailers and businesses we usually had to deal with corporate philosophy and a corporate approval process.” said Regan. “When we are talking with smaller businesses the guy behind the counter is the decision maker.”

He said some smaller businesses have even gone beyond the requirements and added extra cameras. The ordinance is very specific about the number, position and resolution of cameras. It also specifies recording and video storage capabilities.

Regan says the system has been a definite plus for the city and the police department.

Recently a man in the downtown area carried out a series of street robberies – robbing citizens as they walked on the sidewalk. El Cerrito police did not know exactly who they were looking for until one of the officers remembered a victim saying that earlier a suspect had walked into a nearby liquor store. Officers checked the video from the store’s ordinance-compliant surveillance system and were able to identify the man. Police later found him on the roof of a building waiting for them to leave the area.

“We would never have been able to identify him without the surveillance images,” said Regan.

Getting the ordinance written and passed took time, but Regan said there are some key things the city team did to get it done right.

Research – Regan said, “We did our homework.” He said,”We talked with hundreds of people about video surveillance systems. We talked with vendors, integrators, end-users and consultants.” He also said that the team studied systems they liked and knew worked.

Loan Program – To make it easier for businesses to comply with the ordinance, the city used redevelopment funds to offer smaller businesses a 50 percent forgivable loan on up to $5,000 toward a system.

Brought in decision makers – We involved all of the decision makers in the process including the city manager’s and city attorney’s offices, the city council, business groups and the public. According to Regan, the team held meetings throughout the city to explain the purpose of the ordinance and get support up front.

-- PSW staff

About the Author

PublicSafetyWatch blog

The PublicSafetyWatch blog is sponsored by ADT Security Services, Inc. ('ADT') and SecurityInfoWatch.com with contributions from SecurityInfoWatch.com staff editors, ADT, public safety and security industry experts and professionals. The purpose of the blog is to discuss security related topics such as school security, municipal surveillance, public transportation security, public safety security concerns, and security innovations. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the PublicSafetyWatch blog are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the opinions of SecurityInfoWatch.com, Cygnus Business media, Inc., or ADT Security Services, Inc. or any of their parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, stockholders, directors, officers, employees or agents (the 'Sponsors'). The Sponsors do not endorse nor are they responsible for any opinions, advice, content, omissions, hyperlinks, images, articles, information or statements made or displayed within this blog by third parties. The Sponsors reserve the right to delete, withhold from publication, or edit any comment for any reason whatsoever. All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Sponsors make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis with no warranties. Terms and Conditions of Use: By reading, viewing, accessing, contributing or otherwise using this blog, you acknowledge the foregoing Disclaimer and agree to these Terms of Use. All information published shall become the property of the Sponsors. You are granted a nonexclusive, nontransferable, limited right to access, use and display the blog and the materials provided hereon, provided that you comply fully with these Terms and Conditions of Use. Under no circumstances shall the Sponsors, contributors or suppliers, or their agents, be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on any information contained within this blog. The Sponsors will attempt to respond to specific issues, questions, complaints, or concerns that are brought to their attention; however, the Sponsors have no obligation to monitor any content displayed/posted on this blog.