Video bar surveillance: Room for compromise?
Earlier this month Du Quoin Mayor Guy Alongi told the city council he will be bringing to them in February a newly written set of liquor ordinances that, among other things, would require establishments serving beer or liquor to have working surveillance camera systems.
His thought is to bring safety to police officers who, from time-to-time, are called for assistance, provide a visual means to identify offenders, and give both customers and bar owners a measure of comfort and security in knowing there is a visual record of an incident that could help make a case.
On Wednesday night, establishment owners Leonard and Sherry Rice of the Corner Pocket at the corner of Washington and Olive Streets in Du Quoin and Larry Brown of LB's Place on West Main Street came to the council meeting to air their concerns. In doing so, they were simply asking Alongi and council members if all aspects of the proposal had been considered.
There were several concerns by the Rices: the privacy of customers, the cost of the equipment and paying a surveillance company to maintain it and the fact that video recordings can both help and hinder any investigation.
"It's an unfunded mandate," Rice began. "If the city is going to make me put cameras in, then does the city become responsible, too?" he asked. "I think we need to slow down here a little bit," he said. "I don't think my customers will be comfortable being filmed eating a hamburger," he said.
Police commissioner Mike Ward said video surveillance has helped solve a number of theft and assault cases involving Du Quoin businesses.
Commissioner Chuck Genesio said he is never for causing unnecessary regulatory and financial hardship on a business.
As Mayor Alongi explained his thinking, things seemed to settle down. He talked about several things. First, as part of the new ordinance he wants to limit gaming-only liquor licenses to two to protect existing organizations and businesses that have them, thus protecting the income of these places. He said he doesn't care "who's kissing who" behind their spouses back. "And I don't care if somebody is stealing from you. That's your problem," he said.
The mayor said all he is interested in doing is taping a possible suspect coming into the establishment and leaving the establishment.
Jeff Ashauer chimed in saying the safety of officers is all-important.
Alongi offered this compromises: establishing a $1,000 liquor license fee for establishments having camera systems and establishing a $1,500 liquor license fee for those establishments not having them. His thinking is that there is a cost to the public and to the police of not having them installed.
Larry Brown of LB's Place said he is hugely cooperative with police on any level and if the demand is for no more than coverage of the entrance and exit he would be comfortable with that. For the Rice's, drafting the ordinance is "up to the council" and he will decide when he sees it.