Puerto Rico Senate Vice President Carmelo Ríos, of the New Progressive Party (PNP), has filed Senate Joint Resolution 198, which would require the Department of Treasury (Hacienda) to condition the issuance and renewal of alcoholic beverage licenses on businesses installing high-resolution security cameras. Ríos argues Puerto Rico faces a violence crisis and that such businesses act as "situational facilitators," grouping intoxicated people, lowering inhibitions, exacerbating aggressive behavior, and attracting perpetrators seeking vulnerable victims.
He cites Newark and Chicago as U.S. jurisdictions that have already established similar requirements, and notes Milwaukee and Baltimore are currently discussing the issue. The bill mandates that cameras cover, at minimum, business entrances and exits, the main service area, the cash register or point of sale, and the immediate exterior of the business, including parking areas.
The article notes the measure does not address whether Hacienda has sufficient staff to enforce the proposed requirement.