Convenience store owners in Hartford, Conn., will have to adhere to new rules if they want to keep their doors open overnight. The city is imparting new safety rules on 24-hour gas stations and convenience stores in order for the stores to stay open overnight.
Stores that wish to operate overnight are now required to have limited signs on the windows so that there is a clear view in and out of the business. The owners must also install a security camera, alarm system and have a drop safe. If businesses fail to meet the requirements, they will not be allowed to operate between 11:30 p.m. and 5 a.m., according to ABC News.
After his store was robbed by three men at gunpoint last year, Aftabl Ahmad said he likes the new safety measurements. "For your life, especially for the cashier who works late night–it’s a necessity for them," he said.
The city plans to aggressively enforce the ordinance. If an owner is caught breaking the rule, he could face a $100 fine, prison time or have his business closed. Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez said that he doesn’t want it to reach that point. "As long as there is a good-faith effort, we will work with the merchant," he said.
Perez said the plan is to target crime and make the city’s neighborhoods safer.
