WASHINGTON POST: Prince George’s County Council requires owners of high-occupancy buildings or age-restricted senior residences to establish video surveillance of properties. Owners of high-occupancy buildings or age-restricted senior residences will be required to establish video surveillance of properties under a bill the Prince George’s County Council passed Tuesday, billed by proponents as an attempt to boost resident safety amid rising crime.The council voted 9-2 to direct owners of qualifying properties to deploy surveillance cameras in areas such as parking lots, sidewalks and trash enclosures, and to retain footage for no less than 30 days. Footage must be kept no less than 180 days from the request date of law enforcement or a tenant.The effort, led by Council member Wala Blegay (D-District 6), builds on previous legislation that required landlords to keep tenants reasonably safe, but did not detail how that should occur. Council members Mel Franklin (D-At Large) and Sydney J. Harrison (D-District 9) abstained on Tuesday, citing concerns over costs and efficacy.Public safety has been top of mind for residents and lawmakers, with stolen vehicle crimes up 173 percent compared to the same time last year and property crime up 50 percent, according to data from the Prince George’s County Police Department. Violent crime is up by 8 percent, according to the data.The council in March passed a security camera rebate bill for home and business owners following the death of a 13-year-old boy, Jayz Agnew, who was killed while raking leaves last November. The Private Security Camera Incentive Program, which is also known as the Jayz Agnew Law, aimed to strengthen surveillance and discourage illegal dumping as the county grappled with crime.
Lawmakers Set Surveillance Standard for Private Property, Over Opposition
