Prince George's sponsor proposes pilot to pay residents half of fines for video evidence of illegal dumping

Senate Bill 525 would permit Prince George's County to establish a pilot program allowing residents to submit video evidence of illegal dumping or littering; the resident who submits video that leads to a conviction would receive half of the fines collected, sponsor Sen. Nick Charles told the committee.

"This bill allows for Prince George's County to establish a pilot program that lets residents submit video evidence of illegal dumping or littering violations, and those who submit the video evidence that leads to a conviction will receive half of the fines collected," Sen. Charles said.

Charles framed littering and illegal dumping as ongoing problems that affect the environment, public health and local economies. He cited Department of Transportation fiscal-year figures presented in his testimony showing substantial state spending on litter removal: $11.6 million in FY2022 and $15 million in FY2023, which his remarks linked to thousands of truckloads of waste and many thousands of large bags removed.

Proponents said law-enforcement staffing shortages make it difficult for officers to address dumping and littering and that a financial incentive could spur public reporting; Charles compared the proposal to other local reward programs that have encouraged community reporting, including illegal-gun reward efforts.

Charles urged the committee to pass the bill to reduce litter and engage residents as partners in enforcement; the hearing transcript records no committee vote during the presentation.