Dallas City Council members on Wednesday approved a host of mandatory security upgrades meant to deter crime at more than 750 convenience stores in the city.
During Wednesday’s meeting, council members approved without comment an ordinance that would require the following:
- A minimum of three security cameras be installed inside of every convenience store
- Upgraded, mandatory exterior lighting
- ATM's must be secured to the floor
- Any ATM must be set a minimum of 12 feet back from windows, doors
The proposed ordinance dictates where those required cameras must be positioned — one on the cash register, one that shows the faces of everyone who enters the store, and one that shows the faces of everyone as they exit the store.
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The cameras would also be required to record at all times, including when the store is closed, and for that footage to be saved and accessible for a minimum of 30 days.
The ordinance also sets a minimum standard picture quality produced by the cameras of “a resolution of two megapixels, a minimum aspect ratio of 1920 horizontal pixels by 1080 vertical pixels, and a minimum frame rate of 15 frames per second."
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The parts of the ordinance that apply to ATMs are meant to deter the ‘smash and grab’ crimes that often occur when someone drives a vehicle into the store, loads up the entire machine, and drives away with it.
