Providence cracks down on illegal trash dumping
By News Staff
By The Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) _ Providence is installing eight cameras in areas around the city prone to illegal trash dumping.
The motion-activated cameras are housed in small metal boxes and mounted on telephone poles.
When a camera detects movement, the lens cover pops open and it takes pictures. The images can be stored in a memory card in the camera or be sent by Wi-Fi to a computer.
The high-resolution images are clear enough to make out faces and license plates. One car illegally dumping has already been spotted.
A spokesman for the mayor’s office says the cameras can cost up to $8,000 each.
The cost of sending a crew and equipment to clean up dumped trash is about $6,000 a week. This includes the cost of equipment and disposal fees.
No one has been arrested because the offense is punishable by fines. Multiple infractions have been issued.
© The Associated Press / WLNE-TV 2015
