In an effort to cleanse Camden's streets of the relentless scourge of illegal dumping, local leaders are implementing a bold initiative that includes monetary rewards for whistleblowers and an increased surveillance network. Camden residents, once beleaguered by the unsightly heaps of waste unceremoniously left in their neighborhoods, now have a renewed sense of hope and agency in the fight against this blight.
An increase in comfort walking the city's streets has been reported by locals, such as Marc Velez, who compared the city's drastic improvement over the last decade. "In the past 10 years it’s a whole 180 change. It went from very bad, couldn’t even step outside, to now I can take my dog out for a walk and not feel like I’m going to get harmed," Velez told FOX29. However, concerns persist over pets, like Velez's dog Zeus, encountering debris from the illegal dumps.
Yet skepticism remains among community members regarding the program's efficacy. Vida Neil, a community advocate, emphasized the need for collective action and vigilance, underscoring that many dumping areas are far from prying eyes. "But people have to see it," Neil said in an interview with CBS News, adding that "most of the areas that they're dumping in are desolate areas where people don't live at."
Nonetheless, the city is determined to demonstrate its seriousness in curbing illegal dumping, having installed 120 cameras to catch offenders in the act—a cause for which Congressman Donald Norcross proudly secured a $500,000 community project fund. "Having these tools has been invaluable for our law enforcement professionals and has allowed them to bring to justice individuals who have treated the city like their own personal landfill with no regard to the residents or our community," Commissioner Al Dyer stated, as per an article by 6abc.com. The strategy includes cash rewards between $500 and $1,000 for residents providing credible evidence leading to an illegal dumper's arrest.
