January 11, 2008
Louisiana parish steps up municipal surveillance
When you think of public security cameras, the first thing that comes to mind is crime prevention. True, cameras are usually put in place to prevent petty crimes like robbery and vandalism, and to keep citizens and visitors safe from prowlers and other unsavory characters. St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana, however, has added municipal security cameras to tackle another problem - litter.
The parish, which sits on the shore of Lake Ponchartrain, is considered a part of Greater New Orleans, has had problems with citizens publicly dumping their trash after Hurricane Katrina. Private dumping in public places is a criminal offense in Louisiana, and offenders may be fined up to $25,000 and face up to a year in jail.
Traditionally, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality would sift through illegally dumped waste, looking for any clues (like discarded mail) that might identify the offender - dirty work that does not always come to fruition. However, a new joint effort between the DEQ, and the Parish sheriff and criminal investigations unit has helped catch more covert litterers - with less dirty work.
A series of camouflaged security cameras in public areas around the Parish (commonly used by illegal dumpers) has recently been installed to help thwart the illegal litterers. These IP cameras have so far been successful - helping authorities not only identify when something was dumped, but by definitively pinpointing the person. The first arrest? A 47-year old man who was identified by his license plate, which was caught on tape as he dumped tires in a public place. Officials say that the problem has decreased slightly, but dumping is still a problem - a problem they hope the municipal security cameras will help.
Read more at the New Orleans Times-Picayune...
Posted by Jennifer on January 11, 2008 4:15 PM | Comments (0)
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