Berkeley Liquor Stores Now Required To Install Surveillance Cameras To Deter Crime
BERKELEY (CBS SF) -- Some Bay Area liquor stores will have to either install or beef up their video surveillance systems for a new effort to fight crime in Berkeley's most troublesome areas.
Mohammed Khalid says the surveillance system that went up at Bing Liquor store just seven months ago is already paying for itself.
"People are standing outside fighting," he said. "The cops come inside and watch the video and just take care of them."
But it wasn't always that way.
In 2013, there were two homicides near this liquor store. They shook Berkeley so hard that on Tuesday night, the City Council unanimously passed an ordinance requiring stores in several trouble spots in town to install security cameras.
Mayor Tom Bates says new numbers show crime is already drastically down in Berkeley.
"It'll make a big difference because we can then identify people," he said. "We can see people do burglaries or robberies or whatever, commit a crime and we can actually connect them through that video.
According to Berkeley police, violent crime dropped 25 percent last year with robberies down 35 percent. The overall crime rate is the lowest it's been in about three decades.
Bates says the surveillance cameras can only help.
"We don't think it's going to solve all of our problems, but we believe it's an important tool and we're glad to have it," he said.
And some people who live here would love to see the ordinance go a step further.
"I think they should do all the liquor stores," said Berkeley resident Daisy Griffin. "Well, all the stores, period."
El Cerrito has a similar ordinance. Berkeley's could go into effect by next month.
