“The reality is that we need to enforce the law,” Gallo said.<\/p>\n
And enforcing the law is exactly what the Oakland city council intends to do. On Tuesday, the board voted unanimously to double the fine for illegal dumping to $5,000.<\/p>\n
For the first time, those fines will be attached to the license plates of cars caught in the act.<\/p>\n
Ricardo Vindiola works for the city and says this is long overdue.<\/p>\n
“The same people throw away the garbage every day. Same people. And, you know, I have a lot of frustration,” he said.<\/p>\n
MORE: 21 tons of illegally dumped garbage cleared by dozens of volunteers in Oakland<\/a><\/p>\n You hear that frustration a lot in Oakland.<\/p>\n “Whenever I walk, I always see trash everywhere,” said Daniela Morales.<\/p>\n Morales has lived in The Town for 15 years. She knows there are problems here, but it’s still home.<\/p>\n For her, illegal dumping isn’t just about the trash that’s scattered on city streets. It’s about taking pride in where you live.<\/p>\n “Whenever we’re driving, we have to swerve in order not to damage our cars, and it’s really sad,” Morales said.<\/p>\n MORE: East Bay dump truck pours debris onto customer’s yard after dispute over unpaid bill: video<\/a><\/p>\n In addition to the new $5,000 fine, the city council also took the first step in approving a new pilot program. It will use AI drone technology to track illegal dumping sites in real time.<\/p>\n It is restoring that lost sense of pride, Gallo says, one street at a time.<\/p>\n “If I catch you with illegal dumping, we will cite you. We will arrest you. And you will have to pay a heavy fine,” Gallo said.<\/p>\n Every day, the city picks up 6,000 pounds of illegally dumped items.<\/p>\n
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