City installs cameras to curb illegal dumping

Wednesday, September 22, 2004

By Tami Jo Nix-Staff Writer - The Madera Tribune

The Madera Redevelopment Agency and City of Madera Code Enforcement officers have added a new weapon to its arsenal. The soon to be installed FlashCam 530 by Q-Star Technologies will help in the campaign to clean up Madera.

Ken Anderson, president of Q-Star Technologies, made a presentation to city workers and will be on call to help with any initial problems with the units.

The units incorporate a motion detector, camera and a recorded message.

"We intend to put them in trouble "hot-spots" in Madera to help track down vandals, those who illegally dump refuse, and graffiti painters," said Manuel Ruiz, Neighborhood Revitalization Commission and Code Enforcement coordinator.

The units are attached to light poles or buildings at 12 to 20 feet in the air to make them hard to reach and disable. The units are weather and water resistant. They are computer operated.

A loud recorded message and the flash from the camera will advise the offender that a photo has been taken, and the City of Madera will track the vandal down and prosecute. The unit can be angled to photograph the license plate of a vehicle making an illegal dump.

"We are going to clean up Madera, and this will help us," Ruiz said.

Once installed, the units can be moved, by city crews, to different areas with minimal manpower and expense.