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Cameras show value but staff say dumping volume outstrips capacity
Summary
Parks/camera staff said about 35–40 cameras are deployed and camera evidence can produce invoices and plate captures; staff reported roughly 450 dumpings in the prior month, highlighting enforcement resource limitations.
Tom McCarthy, who handles the city's camera systems, told the subcommittee the city has "probably about 35 to 40 cameras out there right now" and that photo or plate evidence can be effective in creating invoices and pressuring people to pay. He said camera evidence has led to fines and invoices but that large fines are not always collected.
Tom gave a volume estimate that underscored resource limits: 'I last month, I did 450 dumpings in the city.' Councilors and staff agreed cameras are a helpful deterrent but noted that camera coverage and follow-through are constrained; staff said some invoices remain unpaid for years and that pursuing collection can be resource-intensive.
Members briefly discussed whether much larger fines — a Boston example of a $5,000 first-offense fine was cited — would change behavior, but members cautioned that collection and enforcement mechanisms must be effective for higher fines to matter.
