As a national debate rages over the government’s use of AI-powered cameras, NBC 5 Investigates has obtained city records showing that Dallas homes are now being “blight scored” by AI-powered cameras the city recently mounted on trash collection trucks to identify possible code violations.
Through an open records request, NBC 5 Investigates obtained city records showing that Dallas began testing cameras on bulk trash collection trucks in April and ramped up their use over the summer, capturing images of tens of thousands of homes.
Artificial intelligence identified at least one possible code violation on more than 21,000 properties, according to the records. Those properties were then assigned a “blight score” from 1 to 4, ranging from least severe to most severe.
Documents obtained by NBC 5 Investigates showed more than 21,000 possible code violations detected by AI-powered cameras.
Now, some homeowners whose properties were found to have violations are receiving code enforcement “courtesy notices” that could eventually result in fines if violations are not voluntarily fixed.
Ty Williams owns a house near Forest Lane and Webb Chapel. City records obtained by NBC 5 showed that a trash truck camera detected a “chimney paint” issue and assigned the property a blight score of 2.
“This is pretty wild to be a number two,” said Williams, who guessed the camera spotted discoloration on his chimney that he thought might be mildew. “I feel like they’re making an issue out of nothing.”
Edward Ayala, NBC 5 InvestigatesEdward Ayala, NBC 5 Investigates
The chimney on a house Ty Williams owns near Forest Lane and Webb Chapel
NBC 5 Investigates filed an open records request, asking for the images of Williams’s home captured by the cameras on the trash trucks to see exactly what they saw, but the city hasn’t released them.
Williams said he never received a warning from the city, even though the city database showed an inspector reviewed the camera footage and sent a “courtesy notice” asking the property owner to voluntarily fix a violation before a city re-inspection.
If a problem isn’t fixed, a courtesy notice can lead to further enforcement action and fines.
“It’s a money grab. That’s basically what this is all about,” Williams said.
Edward Ayala, NBC 5 InvestigatesEdward Ayala, NBC 5 Investigates
Ty Williams
Williams, a real estate broker who bought the house as an investment, is convinced the city is trying to ramp up code enforcement revenue by putting more virtual eyes on homes. He said he’d be happy to clean the brick if the city wants, but he said he’s worried about other homeowners dealing with bigger issues and smaller budgets.
“What about those people who were on fixed incomes and the economy is already bad enough?” said Williams.
NBC 5 Investigates used the city’s data to map the locations of the more than 21,000 possible code violations detected by the cameras. The map shows that some of the zip codes with the most detections are in economically challenged areas of Southern Dallas.
Dennis Edwards told NBC 5 Investigates he’s living on Social Security and it’s not in his budget to fight code enforcement. City records show the home where Edwards lives in Southern Dallas also received a blight score of 2 after a trash truck camera rolled past the property, and he’s not happy about it.
“It’s a violation of privacy,” Edwards said.
Edwards said his family has lived in the historic Bottom neighborhood for three generations. With new construction going up around him as the neighborhood gentrifies, Edwards questioned the city’s motives.
Edward Ayala, NBC 5 InvestigatesEdward Ayala, NBC 5 Investigates
Dennis Edwards
“What they’re trying to do is they’re trying to flush us out. They’re trying to get us gone,” Edwards said. “The taxes going up, they putting code violations on my door.”
Edwards said he has received recent code violation notices, although the city’s database did not indicate that he had been sent a notice based on a camera detection.
Across Dallas, however, city records showed code enforcement sent courtesy notices to owners of more than 500 properties that received blight scores between early April and early August. In recent weeks, the city said the number of notices increased to 1,800.
Edward Ayala, NBC 5 InvestigatesEdward Ayala, NBC 5 Investigates
Dennis Edwards’s house in Southern Dallas.
In a statement, city officials told NBC 5 Investigates it uses blight scores only, “…as a way to prioritize detections” and “…as a way to help human reviewers…” who decide which properties get notices.
Daniel Woislaw is a civil rights attorney with the national nonprofit and civil liberties law firm Institute for Justice. He fears a city could use blight designations to increase fines for property owners, which might push some residents out.
“I immediately have concerns any time the phrase ‘blight score’ comes up, because blight is often used by cities around the country as a pretext,” said Woislaw. “What you have is some cities basically saying, ‘Hey, these properties are blighted, so we’re taking them and then turning around immediately and giving it to a private developer.'”
Edward Ayala, NBC 5 InvestigatesEdward Ayala, NBC 5 Investigates
Civil rights attorney Daniel Woislaw.
NBC 5 Investigates tried for weeks to schedule an interview with Dallas Code Compliance Director Chris Christian or an assistant city manager overseeing the camera program.
A city spokesperson said they’re willing to speak but haven’t been available due to their schedule.
When Dallas announced a three-year, $2.5 million contract for the cameras last year, code compliance officials said the goal was to save time and help officers detect violations more quickly.
“We want to maximize the use of existing resources and tough budget times for many cities and I think this is a really cool way to do that,” Christian said at the time.
Edward Ayala, NBC 5 InvestigatesEdward Ayala, NBC 5 Investigates
The webpage for Dallas Code Compliance Director Chris Christian.
In a more recent statement to NBC 5 Investigates, however, a city spokesperson said, “Before implementation, the only measurable goal was the issuance of 5,200 courtesy notices per year following full rollout.”
Williams said the target adds to his concerns about the program’s motives.
“If they really want to do something and they really want to help others, put a program out there to help people, to help them get these things done, so they’re not having to deal with a blight score,” Williams said.
NBC 5 Investigates also asked City Detect, the company operating Dallas’ cameras, about privacy concerns and what the cameras can see.
Edward Ayala, NBC 5 InvestigatesEdward Ayala, NBC 5 Investigates
City of Dallas one-sheet on the cameras installed on trash collection trucks.
“Our system blurs faces and license plates, doesn’t connect to any law enforcement or federal database, and, by design, requires city staff to review a detection before any action is taken,” the company’s CEO said in a statement.
This week, Dallas City Councilmember Chad West proposed a budget amendment that would strip funding for the cameras. The amendment is on the agenda for a Wednesday morning city council meeting.