PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md. – Last week, the Prince George’s County Council passed a bill requiring surveillance cameras at apartment complexes and senior communities. While a previous iteration of the bill included security guards at senior buildings, that was not included in the legislation.
When asked about the costs of implementing the program, Council Vice President Wala Blegay (D, District 6) said, “We’re always concerned about that. But the reality is that a working camera in this day and time should not be a burden. If we can go to houses in our community where Ring cameras are almost in every house, there’s no reason why apartment complexes shouldn’t be able to do the same.”
Representatives of the real estate industry are concerned abou the bill, noting that the costs of installing and maintaining these security measures.
“AOBA members understand the Council’s desire to address crime in apartment communities and help residents feel safer. They currently have security cameras installed in various locations in their buildings, and in their experience, the value of these devices is in potentially assisting law enforcement investigations and potential prosecutions of criminal activity after the fact,” said AOBA’s Director of Policy Communications Alex Rossello. “The value of these devices in deterring crime is extremely limited and they cannot physically prevent attempts to commit criminal acts. Increasing police presence, especially in high crime areas, along with working the state’s attorney to prosecute criminal offenses is one option to address the spike in criminal activity. However, policymakers and elected officials should also increase engagement with the community on the topic of public safety to determine why certain crimes are spiking and determine other potential approaches to couple with increased police presence and enforcement.”
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