Milwaukee piloting hidden cameras to tackle illegal dumping
Milwaukee is deploying hidden cameras to catch illegal dumpers, a move that has already led to citations as the city addresses a widespread dumping issue.
Milwaukee is deploying hidden cameras to catch illegal dumpers, a move that has already led to citations as the city addresses a widespread dumping issue.
Milwaukee is deploying hidden cameras to catch illegal dumpers, a move that has already led to citations as the city addresses a widespread dumping issue.
Milwaukee is addressing its illegal dumping problem by using hidden cameras to catch offenders in the act, a strategy that has already resulted in several citations.
The city of Milwaukee contacted WISN 12 News, looking for the public's help in identifying the people in a video recorded in a Midtown neighborhood alley. Two people are recorded driving up in a white pickup truck, dropping off windows along with some trash, and then driving off.
"It's a crime. Illegal dumping is a crime. It's a crime of laziness, and it's a crime of greed," said Milwaukee Cavalier Johnson last month during a summit on the dumping issue.
WISN 12 News has covered the issue extensively over the past year, including two separate tire dumps at a Cousins Subs on Villard Avenue, multiple dump sites at the old Johnson's Park mini golf course on North 76th Street, and a man caught red-handed by DNR Wardens dumping more than 4,000 tires on a vacant lot on Green Bay Avenue near Mill Road.
After he was ticketed for dumping a couch in a city-owned lot in March, George Holland said it was a matter of saving money and time.
"I've taken stuff there a bunch of times," Holland said. "It was more a mistake, I guess, once I got caught," Holland said.
"It's not just an epidemic in Milwaukee, it's a problem throughout the country, and Mayor Johnson told us to start turning over every stone to find new ways that we can catch these dumpers," said Jeremy McGovern with the Milwaukee Department of City Development.
DNS responded by launching a pilot program in April, hiding cameras to catch illegal dumping in the act. The cameras like are mounted in an inconspicuous location, yet one where they can capture any illegal dumping in the area. If that dumping activity stops, they can be moved, transported to another problem spot.
"The technology has caught up to where not only can we have higher resolution cameras, we can also get that material sent to phones, but yeah, the absolute best thing about using these type of cameras is they're highly mobile and it takes no time to put them up, take them down, and move them to a different site within the city. So, the goal is to always keep the dumpers guessing," McGovern said.
Shirley Trejo has been waging a one-woman campaign against the chronic illegal dumping on a lot next door near 20th Street and Concordia Avenue. She said she wants to see the offenders identified and ticketed, especially repeat offenders.
"A ticket and if they keep doing it, jail time. Maybe if they get jail time, they'll stop doing their illegal dumping," Trejo said.
The city is sharing the images in the hopes of holding more people accountable.
"With this one in particular, if the public is able to identify and let us know who that person is, it's somebody we're going to be able to cite, and take them to court," McGovern said.
He said the fees at the city dump are minimal, especially for small amounts.
"Some of that volume, would probably just be, if they're a resident, they're going to show their ID, they're gonna get in and probably not even have a fee at all," McGovern said.
"We as citizens are responsible for how we live and how we keep our community looking," Trejo said.
And now, in a sense, the community is looking back.
City staff issued 12 citations for illegal dumping in 2023, 17 last year, and seven so far this year. Steeper fines kicked in this week in Milwaukee, increasing the maximum penalty to $5,000.
