Providence battling illegal dumping with talking cameras, considering stiffer fines

PROVIDENCE MAYOR JORGE O. ELORZA said illegal dumping costs the city as  much as $6,000 a week in labor, equipment and disposal fees. / PBN FILE PHOTO/STEPHANIE ALVAREZ EWENS
PROVIDENCE MAYOR JORGE O. ELORZA said illegal dumping costs the city as much as $6,000 a week in labor, equipment and disposal fees. / PBN FILE PHOTO/STEPHANIE ALVAREZ EWENS

PROVIDENCE – Providence is trying talking cameras to deter illegal dumping.
The city has installed eight cameras in known dumping locations, including alleys and abandoned lots, and will move them around to new locations as needed. They will record using motion-activated sensors, and will also provide an audible warning, said Evan England, city spokesman.
The message warns trespassers they have entered a restricted area, that they are being recorded, and that they may face prosecution, he said.
In a companion action, the City Council on Oct. 1 will consider an ordinance that will increase fines for illegal dumping, including $500 for a first offense for dumping between one and two cubic yards of material, $800 for between two and three cubic yards, and $1,000 for more than three cubic yards.
Second-offenses would carry a fine of $5,000.
Now, the fine is $250 for one cubic yard for the first offense.
In a release, Mayor Jorge O. Elorza said illegal dumping costs the city as much as $6,000 a week in labor, equipment and disposal fees. “Illegal dumping shows a blatant disrespect for our environment and the quality of life in our city,” he said. “With these new cameras and with the strong tools laid out in the ordinance before the council, we are sending a clear message that illegal dumping will not be tolerated.”

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