The Prince George鈥檚 County Council will consider a measure that would offer rebates to county residents who that buy and maintain security cameras outside their homes. The measure would also subsidize businesses’ costs to purchase cameras.
After a few amendments suggested by the county police department, the council鈥檚 Health, Human Services and Public Safety committee passed the measure, sending it to the full council.
The brief hearing on the proposal included testimony from Juanita Agnew, whose 13-year-old son Jayz was shot and killed outside her home in Temple Hills last November as he raked leaves in the yard.
鈥淲e felt safe,鈥� Agnew said. 鈥淲e felt a sense of safety on our little street in Temple Hills, and we didn鈥檛 see the need to have cameras.鈥�
She said the other reason they didn鈥檛 have cameras was the cost.
Unfortunately for her and the police investigating her son鈥檚 killing, no one else nearby had any cameras, either. Her son鈥檚 killer remains at large.
鈥淓veryone wants to know, 鈥榃hat about cameras?鈥欌�� Agnew said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a hard pill to swallow as a mom when you think about Prince George鈥檚 County Police Department depending on residents鈥� cameras to solve a crime.鈥�
Under the proposal from committee chair Krystal Oriadha, residents could get back up to $200 for a camera, with a limit of two cameras, and another $100 to help cover the cost of a subscription, so the recorded video is saved.
鈥淥ne of the issues is the retention of the footage,鈥� Oriadha said. 鈥淵ou might have someone who gets a camera, but if they can鈥檛 afford the subscription cost, then they don鈥檛 record the information.鈥�
It was also pointed out that cameras could also help deter and catch those who dump trash and other items illegally along the side of county roads.
Oriadha said the goal is to keep the pilot program within the cost of about $100,000 to $250,000 in the first year, a price tag that council chair Tom Dernoga described as 鈥渆minently doable.鈥�
鈥淭he cameras can help in so many different areas,鈥� Agnew said. 鈥淭his will be a benefit for all of us.鈥�
