Last week, the city of Bad Nauheim in the German state of Hesse installed cameras with artificial intelligence image recognition technology, whose mission is to monitor any violation of throwing waste in places other than its designated places.
The city municipality targeted a busy recycling center on Schwalheimer Street in particular, in addition to other key locations within the city, according to the German newspaper "Kreis Zeitung".
According to the city municipality, this system helps document cases of illegal dumping of waste and prosecute violators, and it is a project that is still in the experimental stage.
Matthias Velicki, head of the Central Control Department, confirmed that the cameras previously installed in the city will not be used for this purpose, and signs will also be placed at every location where cameras are deployed to monitor illegal dumping of waste, to inform residents of the existence of a filming operation.
How is the mechanism for monitoring violations carried out?
The city municipality of Bad Nauheim explained that the cameras are equipped with automatic image recognition technology, where artificial intelligence systematically scans camera recordings for typical characteristics of an act of illegal littering, such as placing or leaving large objects and garbage bags on the road or next to a trash can.
If the system detects a similar pattern, it classifies the incident as a tentatively suspicious case and records a short series of images, according to the German newspaper "Kreis Zeitung".
However, the city municipality's statement stressed that "artificial intelligence does not make any decisions regarding subsequent investigations, does not create a photo archive, and the legal evaluation is carried out by certified and trained employees of the municipality."
This is where the work of the employees begins, who first review the suspicious case recorded by the cameras, and then verify the possibility of confirming the incident of illegal waste dumping, and in this process the necessary parts of the image necessary for the investigation are removed.
After that, it is checked whether the incident of illegal waste dumping can be confirmed, and only after that it is examined whether the incident is linked to a specific person or a specific vehicle, before the legal requirements for further procedures are met,” explains the municipality.
The municipality emphasizes protecting the data of people walking in the streets in front of the camera, as people in the area or passing by are not recorded at any time, and even if a violation occurs, unnecessary photo data will be deleted.
“We are proceeding cautiously and gradually because the trust of the city's residents is important to us,” says Steven Schneider, head of the spas and services division.
Mayor Klaus Kress explains: “As a health-conscious city, we attach great importance to cleanliness and good maintenance of public spaces. Illegal dumping of waste negatively affects the quality of life and burdens the general public. The camera for monitoring illegal waste dumping is a modern tool for accurately documenting violations and holding perpetrators accountable on a regular basis, in accordance with data protection regulations and after careful study.”
Chris adds: “The waste dumping camera is a modern tool for accurately documenting violations and holding perpetrators fairly accountable, in compliance with data protection regulations and after careful study,” according to the German newspaper “Bild.”
A large fine
Anyone who dumps waste in a place other than its intended location will face a heavy fine, which varies depending on the type and size of the violation, and the fine may reach 500 euros.
Not only that, but the violator will bear the costs of waste disposal, as well as the costs of the machinery and labor used in doing so, and thus committing a single violation may result in paying a large fine.
If the municipality is able to identify the person responsible for causing the waste, the public will not bear the costs of waste disposal through the imposed waste fees, but rather the person causing the waste himself will bear all the costs.
The municipality of Bad Nauheim plans to cooperate with the police in this process, so that the footage captured by the camera will be sent directly to the municipal police with the aim of “early intervention” in cases of violation, and to reduce investigative work afterwards, according to the German newspaper “Bild”.
