“Orwellian”?

Houston just passed a law that would require business owners to install surveillance cameras at their own cost, keep them on 24/7 and turn footage over to police without a warrant.@IJ is calling on the city council to repeal this Orwellian law.https://t.co/O5xDCWsZgn

— Dan King (@Kinger_DC) April 20, 2022

So, let's see what this is all about:

HOUSTON – Houston City Council passed an ordinance Wednesday that will now require security cameras and lighting at certain businesses.

 Houston Police Chief said the new requirements would help combat an increase of violence crime in the city. 

Under the new guidelines, nightclubs, bars, sexually-oriented businesses, convenience stores and game rooms operating in the city will have to install security cameras for enhanced safety, ensuring coverage from the exterior of the business to its property line. The cameras must be working at all times.

 It will also require convenience stores to install lighting in any place where customers are allowed and turned on between sunset and sunrise. 

 According to the ordinance, a business owner must save video footage for no less than 30 days, and provide HPD with the footage within 72 hours of a request. 

The amendment would take effect about three months after it’s approved.

Lot of shootings and other violence in and outside these businesses.  Seems reasonable to me for the community to ask some concessions from such businesses, especially since they are already subject to health laws and alcohol laws.  There’s a lot of harrumphing at the Twitter link about the 4th amendment, but businesses aren’t being forced to incriminate themselves by having surveillance cameras focused on their patrons. And the link avoids making any such argument/analysis, because it just can’t be made here.

I can understand the objections to this from a business point of view, mostly to do with the expense.  But I can also understand the public safety issues. So would it be “Orwellian” to post a police officer at every such business, and charge these businesses a fee for the officer as a requirement for doing business? It might be an even more effective means of dissuading crimes.

Then again, it probably wouldn’t.