Skip to Content

Arkansas town considers requiring businesses to install surveillance

Arkansas town considers requiring businesses to install surveillance

PINE BLUFF, Ark.—Leaders in this town are considering an ordinance requiring convenience stores and restaurants to install and maintain surveillance equipment, according to NACS.online.

The move was prompted by an unsolved crime in which Mohammed Islam, a convenience store clerk at the Big Red Food Mart, was killed during an attempted armed robbery two months ago, the report said. At the time of the robbery, cameras in the store were not working.

According to the proposal, storeowners, managers or clerks at any property not in compliance with the ordinance would be assessed a $1,000 fine.

“We asked for this piece of legislation following (Islam's) murder,” Greg Shapiro, public information officer for the Pine Bluff Police Department, said in the report. “We don't want to place a financial burden on any business, but this is 2012, and the technology is available and affordable to protect employees (of these businesses) and help us deter, as well as solve, crimes.”

Comments

To comment on this post, please log in to your account or set up an account now.