Global Grabs: USA.

Houston and Hartford adopt laws to curtail crime at convenience stores

Under a new ordinance designed to combat crime, every convenience store in Houston, Texas, must install color, digital surveillance cameras, according to news reports. A similar ordinance went into effect recently in Hartford, Conn.

The Houston ordinance was adopted March 26 by the city council. Store operators have 18 months to comply, according to reports. Some of the other requirements, according to a Houston news report are:

• Owners must provide annual safety training to all employees
• Stores must post “no trespassing” and “no loitering” signs on the property, which would allow police to remove vagrant people from parking lots and corners
• Post height strips at exits, which help employees accurately describe suspects after a hold-up
• Install silent panic and hold up alarms
• Install a drop safe, which prevents easy access to large amounts of cash

Failure to comply with the new rules is a class C misdemeanor, which could lead to a $500 fine.

The new law in Hartford, which became effective in early March, applies to convenience stores and gas stations open between the hours of 11:30 pm and 5:00 am, according to news reports, which noted also that such stores must have surveillance cameras, a silent alarm and a drop safe.