The Police of Ghent installed on Friday the first of five new cameras to control illegal dumping, as reported by the municipality. By doing this, they want to improve the chances of catching perpetrators and prevent the practice, a phenomenon that got even worse in the second-largest Flemish city during the coronavirus pandemic.
Investing in law enforcement
Two existing cameras will be replaced by new ones and three extra cameras will be added as part of this investment. Three of the new cameras are ‘semi-fixed’ and will operate at illegal dumping hotspots – places where there have been many reports about the problem. The cameras are robust, generate their own electricity and can be moved easily. In addition, two mobile cameras will be hidden or concealed, for example in a vehicle or in a house, for observations by the respective police team.
Mayor of Ghent Mathias De Clercq demonstrating the features of the mobile cameras. Photo: Mathias De Clercq on Facebook
The new cameras are only part of the efforts to prevent illegal waste disposal in Ghent, alongside awareness-raising campaigns. Illegal dumping is a major problem in the city which got even worse during the corona crisis.
In addition to Ghent Police, community guards, city employees and Ivago waste-removal company, the city authorities try to ensure every day that everyone deals with waste correctly and that most of the illegal dumping is cleared within two days.
Enforcement is therefore an essential part of the public cleanliness policy. Now, the city invests more in law-enforcement, hoping that the new cameras will make it more likely for the perpetrators to be caught, fined 120 euros and then requested to pay for the clean-up costs. In addition to the use of illegal dumping cameras, catching offenders in the act is also important. Illegal dumps are also observed with the goal of identifying perpetrators.
Source: TheMayor.EU
