The city of Oakland will announce new strategies Monday to address its ongoing problem with illegal dumping.
The city is expected to discuss a new drone program, and Mayor Barbara Lee will announce additional initiatives to tackle illegal dumping.
Each year, the city receives thousands of complaints about mounds of old furniture, debris and trash piled up along roads and sidewalks.
Last week, the Oakland City Council voted unanimously to double fines for illegal dumping to up to $5,000 and to attach those fines to the license plate of the dumper’s vehicle.
The City Council also approved a six-month pilot program using AI drone technology to track where illegal dumping is taking place so workers can clean it up more quickly.
The city said the pilot program will include strong privacy protections and will be used to identify trash, not people.
But a local community group called Oakland Privacy told NBC Bay Area it has reservations.
“It’s a pilot program, so time will tell if it works or if it turns out to be an intrusive annoyance that results in a lot of false alarms,” the group said.