ATLANTA — The City of Atlanta could soon be following Dekalb County with a proposal for high-quality cameras and video surveillance at gas stations.
The City is looking for a way to cut back on crime.
Channel 2′s Steve Gehlbach spoke with the council member behind the proposal.
The councilmember proposed an identical ordinance to DeKalb County in the city of Atlanta and it took a big step to get passed this week.
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At most gas stations and convenience stores in Atlanta, you are being watched, but some cameras may not work, not record, be too dark, or too low grainy to see anything.
“I ask you that you please help us protect our community and protect young women that look like me,” Kree Montague said.
At Monday’s public safety committee hearing, the Atlanta native Montague said she’d been victimized at a gas station and asked councilmembers to pass an ordinance requiring cameras and an entire video surveillance system.
“At this point, I have fear and anxiety while visiting those local spaces,” Montague said.
Councilmember Keisha Sean Waites proposed the measure.
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“These cameras can be used to monitor day-to-day operations, identify problem areas, and help us enhance public safety throughout the city,” Waites said.
Atlanta’s ordinance will mirror the one that just went into effect in unincorporated DeKalb County at nearly 250 gas stations and convenience stores, pushed by Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson.
“Gas and service stations are our number one location for violent crimes, so it just made sense,” Cochran-Johnson said.
Waites said the same thing for Atlanta, citing APD crime stats, and saying the cameras would be a ‘deterrent’ for criminals.
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