In an effort to crack down on incidents of illegal waste dumping, Phoenix officials have begun strategically placing surveillance cameras in problem areas throughout the city, ABC 15 Arizona reports.
According to Jesse Duarte, deputy director of Phoenix’s public works department, eight surveillance cameras have already been placed in areas prone to illegal waste dumping. Duarte hopes that these high-tech cameras, which are sophisticated enough to detect details such as license plate numbers and vehicle makes and models, will help the city identify violators even when law enforcement and other citizens aren’t around.
"When you see illegal dumping, most of it occurs late in the evening or at night," Duarte told ABC 15. "Our employees are out there trying to stop [illegal dumping], and to the people who are dumping: We will catch you."
In addition to the eight cameras already installed, the city has ordered an 14 more units that will be strategically placed throughout the city.
Before the cameras are installed, a sign is posted alerting would-be violators about the city’s intention to penalize those caught breaking the law. Perpetrators caught in the act can be fined up to $2,500 plus the cost of the trash removal.
Although the program is in its infancy, Duarte says he hopes the new emphasis on cracking down on illegal dumping will help keep the city clean and preserve the appearance of Phoenix’s neighborhoods.
"We have residents here that want to keep up their properties, keep up the area that they live in and people doing this [dumping] is illegal. It doesn't look good for the residents or for the city itself," Duarte said.
To help cut down on waste dumping, the city offers bulk pick-up days quarterly and allows for residents to drop off up to 1 ton of trash at any of the city’s waste stations.