Patterson merchants get more time to install video

PATTERSON — The Patterson City Council on Tuesday gave business owners another 90 days to comply with rules requiring the installation of video surveillance equipment.
This extension gives business owners until March to install the equipment.
The installation of cameras became law in October. Business owners had 30 days to comply.
After the law was in effect, Mayor Rodney Grogan sent Councilman John Rentrop and Community Affairs Director Ryan Aucoin to inform business owners they had until January to be in compliance.
Grogan received numerous calls from angry business owners regarding businesses installing and maintaining a video camera system.
“When we passed this ordinance, we had a public hearing,” Grogan said. “No one showed up. The ordinance was passed in August.”
Smoke-n-Go representative Tony Martinez expressed a concern of business owner Fred Hoyt during public comments at the meeting.
“The owner, Fred Hoyt, is a little bit worried about the wording in the ordinance,” Martinez said.
“Naturally, he feels we have to cooperate 100 percent. But he’s a little worried about the wording in the ordinance.” The wording concern is related to penalties if a business is not in compliance.
A person or business is subject to a fine of $250 per day for each day the violation exists. In addition to a fine, imprisonment not exceeding 15 days is a consequence of violation. Subjects could also be both imprisoned and fined for violation.
Businesses were asking if it could go with a warning. The penalties did not change at the council meeting, only an extension to comply.
“Hardship, I’m not worried about,” Grogan said. “It’s your safety I’m worried about.
“We have some bad times right now. People are getting laid off from work. We have some serious drug problems around here. These businesses need to be secured.”
Grogan mentioned Smoke-n-Go’s surveillance system served to protect the business when it was robbed last year.
Last year’s incident involved juveniles vandalizing the store. The youths busted the windows out of the store and were identified from the video.
“The case was solved in a matter of hours,” said James Carinhas, the Patterson Police Department’s technology officer. The “officers knew who they were because of the video.”
“I know that the police department and police chief are the main motivators of this ordinance,” said Patterson City Council Attorney Russell Grimaldi. “They don’t really want anybody to have to have more equipment than they need.
“But they want to be able to have what’s needed or be able to present the evidence to actually see what happened.”
The following types of businesses are required to install and maintain a video camera system:
—Businesses licensed to sell alcohol by the state to the public for consumption either on or off premises.
—Businesses whose premises are regularly open to the public for any amount of time between the hours of 12 a.m. and 4 a.m.
—Check cashing businesses.
—Licensed second-hand dealers that buy and sell precious metals.
—Pharmacies.
—Pawn shops.
Businesses must install a system according to specific requirements. Systems should be installed at or near each entrance or exit regularly used by customers or employees.
“Most people are in compliance,” Carinhas said. “It’s only a handful that are not doing it. … If we have a video of the suspect or perpetrator if something were to happen at a business next door, we could get a video from all the people in the area. And it just helps us so much more solving cases and identifying people.”
The cost to install a surveillance system — four-channel high definition digital video recorder with two cameras, power supply, cable, hardware, and installation — is around $2,000, said David Lejeune, who represents Southern Telecom of Louisiana.