DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — More than 200 businesses in DeKalb County are in for a wake-up call when they go to renew their business licenses.
11Alive has learned most unincorporated DeKalb County gas stations and convenience stores haven’t installed video surveillance systems even though they’re required to under a new ordinance.
The measure went into effect three months ago. The idea was to have an extra set of eyes to help deter and solve crimes.
Ninety days in, the result is mixed.
Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, who sponsored the legislation, says 90% of their gas stations have some form of video surveillance cameras, but simply having cameras is not enough.
According to the county’s new ordinance, the businesses need to check off several specific items that designate what kind of video surveillance and how many cameras they must have.
“This is a very extensive ordinance. It requires that video cameras are at each and every gas pump, the point of entry and the point of exit, also the point of sale,” Cochran-Johnson said. “It also requires mandatory lighting on 75 feet of the building and we regulate the type of equipment.”
The ordinance also requires the camera systems to include night vision, offer a certain quality of video based on pixels and resolution, and it must be able to store 60 days’ worth of footage.
The new requirements went into effect on June 30th. The county hired six new code compliance officers to enforce the ordinance. So far, they’ve visited about half of the 268 locations the county said must comply.
Three months into the new requirements, only a fraction of businesses are in compliance.
“I would say at this point we’re somewhere around 20% and I’m very concerned because we need to get those numbers up,” Cochran-Johnson added.
The county is not handing out citations right now. The focus is on educating each business about what it needs by handing out a specific checklist so it’s in compliance by January 1, 2024.
“I believe a lot of our gas and convenience stores believe they have time. This may not be a quick fix,” Cochran-Johnson said. “I want to make sure they know that this is not an option. It is absolutely mandatory. If you do not have your video surveillance in place according to the guidelines, you will not receive a business license for your 2024 year.”
The origin of the ordinance centered around reducing and solving violent crimes at the places where those incidents happen more often.
The ordinance specifies gas stations and convenience stores, but it also includes a provision to include any business that has a serious crime occur on its premises or has had three calls for police service within 30 consecutive days.
Cochran-Johnson said that was intended to put criminals on notice.
“We want to send a message to criminals that we are watching and I want us in DeKalb to be very swift with justice,” she said. “If your behavior is determined by whether or not you’re being monitored, you will fully know so that you can be on your best behavior.”
Whether the new ordinance has helped its intended purpose is still to be determined.
Cochran-Johnson said it has helped DeKalb County Police find one suspect in a recent case. 11Alive has reached out to the DeKalb County Police Department to find out which one and is awaiting its response.