Security cameras outside Broward businesses deferred Til Jan

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Security cameras outside Broward County businesses deferred until January

By Scott Wyman |South Florida Sun-Sentinel
November 14, 2008

Widespread opposition from retailers has at least temporarily stalled a push to require thousands of security cameras to be installed at drugstores and shopping centers across Broward County

County commissioners promised in the summer to debate and vote Thursday on the extensive surveillance that was sought after the shooting death of a sheriff's deputy in a drugstore parking lot in 2007.

Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion, the primary sponsor of the proposal, said a lack of cooperation from businesses hampered his work to draw up specifics. But he plans to have them ready by January.

"I wanted to work together to write an ordinance, but we got the same rhetoric from the retailers from day one," Eggelletion said. "They are saying to the public that they want their money, but they aren't concerned about their safety."

Broward Sheriff's Sgt. Chris Reyka was slain in August 2007 outside a Pompano Beach Walgreens. There were no cameras in the parking lot, and the shooting remains unsolved.

The initial proposal by Eggelletion would have required around-the-clock surveillance outside 13,000 businesses. Commissioners in August created a task force that included representatives of large and small retailers to study the idea.

Retailers questioned whether the surveillance systems would deter crime and whether many businesses could afford them. Costs could vary widely, but county officials have cited estimates that a surveillance system for a small shopping center could cost more than $11,000.

Eggelletion had said from the beginning of the debate that he was willing to compromise on details. On Thursday, he said the proposal he will offer in January would not require 24-hour surveillance, would phase in installation over three years and would set different standards on the extent of camera coverage based on other security measures.

Scott Wyman can be reached at swyman@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4511.