In the wake of the brutal, unsolved murder of Katherine Janness and her dog Bowie in Piedmont Park on July 28, the Atlanta City Council approved the installation of new surveillance cameras in the city’s parks and recreation facilities.
During Monday’s meeting, the council adopted legislation asking the Atlanta Police Department to being evaluating the process of installing cameras that would integrate into APD’s Video Integration Center (VIC). The legislation notes that criminal activity has spread to the city’s parks and that installing cameras will help to improve response times and provide real-time information sharing.
APD released surveillance footage from outside Piedmont Park showing people walking and jogging around the time Janness and Bowie were stabbed to death, but video from inside the park was curiously missing.
The department revealed that is was working with vendors of nine cameras located inside Piedmont Park to try and extract more footage, but admitted that the 13-year-old cameras use obsolete technology and are not part of the VIC.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said vast majority of parks in the city don’t have surveillance cameras. The city is scheduled to install 250 new cameras around the city by the end of the year.
A $20,000 reward remains on offer for information on who killed Janness and Bowie. Anyone who might have information is encouraged to call 911, Crime Stoppers at (404) 577- 8477 or the APD homicide unit at (404) 546-4236.
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