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Stockton adopts illegal-dumping ordinance with fines and citizen reporting program
Summary
The council adopted an ordinance adding Chapter 8.104 to the Stockton Municipal Code to address illegal dumping, authorize fines up to $3,000 for repeat offenses, create a modest rewards fund for reporting, and authorize targeted camera placement; vote passed 6–0 (Councilmember Wright absent).
Stockton’s City Council on Sept. 10 adopted an ordinance intended to deter illegal dumping by increasing civil penalties, creating a citizen-reporting mechanism and funding modest rewards for tips that lead to enforcement.
Lieutenant Chuck Harris of the Stockton Police Department said the ordinance would allow the department to seek citations against registered vehicle or trailer owners when probable cause exists based on photo or video evidence, and to reimburse city cleanup costs. "As you can see on the top left, there were 222 instances of illegal dumping that were reported to the Stockton Police Department in 2023, which resulted in 16 crime reports being taken," Harris told the council in introducing the ordinance. He said there had been only four arrests in the last six years and argued the city needs additional tools.
The ordinance sets escalating penalties of $1,000 for a first offense, $2,000 for a second and $3,000 for a third. The city manager has established a special fund to pay rewards of up to $250 to reporting parties who provide information leading to identification and a successful action; the reporting party receives $50 at report intake and an additional $200 if a citation is paid or an appeal is resolved in the city's favor.
The proposal also authorizes coordination with Crimestoppers/Scribe Stoppers and the city’s AskStockton portal for anonymous reporting and said staff would use reports and historical data to place city-run cameras in frequently targeted areas. Council members praised the measure and asked for a yearly evaluation of the program’s results; the ordinance was adopted on a 6–0 vote (Councilmember Wright absent).
Council directed staff to coordinate public information outreach with community groups and nonprofit partners and to return with annual results and any recommended adjustments.
