Proactive Against Illegal Dumping

Proactive Against Illegal Dumping

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Illegal Dumping is a community curse that requires proactive measures that stop illegal dumping before it happens.

Illegal Dumping is not just trash that is thrown from a car. Illegal dumping usually involves big items like refrigerators, tires, couches, and construction debris left in remote areas.  An out of the way, remote area can be an off road clearing in the forest, a vacant lot, a hidden alleyway, or a road behind a store front.  All these areas get hit by offenders leaving their unwanted items for the rest of the community to take care of.

Cities are tasked with the burden to create legislation that will offset the expense illegal dumping causes, which can be very expensive especially if the clean up involves environmental water pollution.  A lot of citizens don’t want punishment even for offenders, but the alternative is pollution and disease.

Therefore, legislators need to purchase tools that are specifically designed to be proactive in stopping illegal dumping.  The city of Seattle cleans up 2 million tons of trash a year and it costs 1.7 million dollars and they are ready to be proactive in stopping the problem.

Being proactive against illegal dumping means doing something different and using tools that are effective in areas traditional surveillance is not.

Here are the questions to ask when being proactive:

  • Are there enough legal waste disposal sites?
  • Are there programs in place to rally the disposal of hazardous waste, and large items?
  • Are there educational programs in place to raise awareness of the programs in place and the hazards associated with illegal dumping?
  • Are the fines high enough to discourage illegal dumping?
  • Have Illegal Dumping Cameras been deployed at the sites?
  • Do the Illegal Dumping Cameras capture images and license plates?
  • Are the Illegal Dumping Cameras vandal resistant?
  • Are the Illegal Dumping Cameras able to be placed in remote areas where no electricity or internet connection is available?

 

Be proactive, stop illegal dumping in your community!