City Council
City may borrow cameras to catch illegal dumpers.
Illegal dumpers target vacant properties, alleyways, and hillsides, leaving items like construction debris. Now, Allegheny CleanWays has agreed to lend the Department of Public Works surveillance cameras at no cost. An enforcement team will place the cameras and share data with law enforcement. Other terms aren't set yet, though the public works director said the deal will likely cover two years.
Written by Amy Whipple
The Department of Public Works wants to catch illegal dumpers in the act.
Allegheny CleanWays has agreed to lend surveillance cameras at no cost so the Department of Public Works (DPW) can monitor and investigate illegal dumping.
DPW director Chris Hornstein said every council district has “illegal dump sites that just go above and beyond.”
Illegal dumpers primarily target vacant properties, alleyways and hillsides. They leave large-scale items like construction debris and what Council Member Bob Charland of the South Side described as dozens of tires.
Hornstein said the loaner cameras are out of the city’s purchasing price range. Its current cameras are cumbersome and require a dedicated power source that make useful placement difficult. He did not know how many Allegheny CleanWays will lend the city.
The Environmental Enforcement Team will determine the placement and movement of the cameras. It will also share data with law enforcement.
According to Hornstein, there’s a high bar for prosecution. The cameras need to capture identifying information of people in the act of dumping. “It’s a worthy bar to try to pursue in some of those really egregious cases.”
Other than the cost, DPW and Allegheny CleanWays have not negotiated terms of agreement. Hornstein said it will likely cover two years.
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