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New security cameras up at Piedmont Park
Following the murder of Katie Janess and her Dog Bowie last July, the city of Atlanta had promised to upgrade security at parks and add new active cameras.
ATLANTA - It’s been nine months since Katie Janness and her dog Bowie were brutally stabbed to death inside Piedmont Park.
Many people have expressed their concerns of safety surrounding the park.
City officials confirm there are more than 30 cameras active across the Midtown Atlanta park that’s linked to a system where someone will be watching around the clock.
Family and friends have unveiled a forever memorial bench to honor the lives of Katie Janness and her dog Bowie.
Katie Janness and her dog Bowie were brutally stabbed to death inside Piedmont Park on July 28, 2021.
The two were found brutally stabbed to death inside Atlanta’s biggest park July 2021.
The person responsible still on the run.
"I think the frustration that I had is that it took so long. Before we had the tragedy at Piedmont Park and tragedy at Anderson Park we were on record saying we wanted cameras and live bodies to be assigned," Atlanta City Council member Michael J. Bond said.
A bench inside Piedmont Park dedicated to Katie Janness and her dog Bowie. (FOX 5)
Councilman Bond said he’s been advocating for cameras and stronger security at parks before the crimes.
The initial cameras were part of a pilot project and were based on obsolete technology. The cameras were not removed because their presence was deemed valuable but were not active the night of the murder
"I believe over 20 cameras have been erected in Piedmont Park. They are tied into the Video Integration System. This is just the first of 20 large targeted parks where we have high incident rates," Bond said.
A plague on a bench inside Piedmont Park dedicated to Katie Janness and her dog Bowie reads "Student of Life" and "Loyal Companion" to describe each. (FOX 5)
In a statement sent from Atlanta’s Park and Rec department they said:
"The Department of Parks and Recreation has more than 250 cameras across its system. There are more than 30 cameras currently active in Piedmont Park which are compatible with the APD VIC system."
"That is extremely important because that means there is a live body and not just a recording incident…which would have been helpful in case last year...but if they see something they can react and get the police right out," Bond said.
City officials say new cameras in Piedmont Park have been installed.
Bond said the fight isn’t over as he’s working to get live-bodied off-duty Atlanta police officers to monitor the park in shifts in addition to the regular patrols.
"Regular patrols or something who might have a park in their district they might drive through in their beat but this would be people assigned for 8 hours or however long the shift might be," Bond said.
Bond said the cameras implemented are a start and more will go to several other large parks in the city. If the voters of Atlanta pass the infrastructure bond next month, $3 million has been identified for cameras in parks.
As far as the investigation into who killed Katie Janness and her dog, the Atlanta Police Department said they have nothing new to release and the investigation.