I know this is technically local news but this concerns a large swath of a big city (Atlanta). I think a government-ordered surveillance mandate on private companies is an interesting subject for the hacker community.
Wait, do you mean to tell me that there were convenience stores in Atlanta that didn't already have surveillance cameras installed? That beggars belief.
Short of the clerks smoking the repeat-offenders, cameras are probably the best alternative. DA's still need to prosecute, however, or this won't stop.