A Philadelphia city councilman wants bars and other places serving alcohol to install exterior surveillance cameras so investigators have a point of reference if a patron goes missing.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports Thursday Councilman Curtis Jones Jr.'s proposal is in response to the disappearance and death of 21-year-old college student Shane Montgomery.
Montgomery never returned home after a night out with friends along Manayunk's Main Street on Thanksgiving Eve.
He was last seen leaving Kildare's Irish Pub, which did not have working surveillance cameras outside. Five weeks after he disappeared, his body was pulled from the Schuylkill River.
The lack of surveillance video made the search for the West Chester University senior even more difficult for investigators, who eventually turned their focus to the Schuylkill River after reviewing footage that showed the Roxborough native walking in that direction.
Jones says he'll introduce legislation next week mandating at least one outside camera at all establishments with a liquor license. He tells the newspaper the city's SafeCam program could reimburse half the cost of the camera, up to $3,000.
It is unclear how many of the city's bars and restaurants already have working surveillance cameras setup outside.
