MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee is expanding a pilot program aimed at catching illegal dumpers, with eight additional surveillance cameras being installed on the city's Near West Side.
The cameras are part of an effort between the city and Near West Side Partners to identify people who illegally dump trash, furniture, tires and other debris in neighborhoods. Officials say footage from the cameras can help investigators identify suspects and support prosecutions.
See how city leaders hope these new cameras will help catch offenders
According to the Department of Neighborhood Services in collaboration with the Milwaukee Police Department, 24 people have been caught and prosecuted since the program launched in spring.
Previous Coverage: Milwaukee to add 100 cameras to catch illegal dumping
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said addressing illegal dumping has been a priority for his administration.
"I have challenged my departments to take on issues that are important to citizens across the city, and illegal dumping certainly is one of those things," Johnson said. "We have more of these cameras going into neighborhoods to catch people who are making decisions that cause harm in neighborhoods."
Near West Side Partners Safety Ambassador Hassani Lucas said illegal dumping remains a concern throughout the neighborhood.
"It has been an issue. We've seen dumping all throughout the neighborhood," Lucas said. "This was just a big part of getting our foot in the door and trying to bring some of these people that are committing crimes to justice."
Safety Ambassador Elliott Carson said neighborhood crews routinely encounter dumped items ranging from household furniture to construction debris.
"We've seen tires, couches, beds, all sorts of things. Just broken wood," Carson said. "Lots of things in the area."
Lucas said the impacts extend beyond aesthetics.
"It affects our residents. It affects our business owners because residents are uncomfortable with coming out of their houses and engaging," Lucas said.
She said the organization regularly hears concerns from residents who question whether enough is being done to address the problem.
"We hear a lot that the city isn't doing anything. Near West Side isn't doing enough," Lucas said. "So these cameras help to back up our story and let people know we do care. We are doing something about it, and we want to put a stop to it as well."
Johnson said illegal dumping also carries a cost for taxpayers.
"When folks dump illegally, especially on city-owned property, we have to go and clean that up," Johnson said. "That's a direct effect to taxpayers in the city of Milwaukee."
The mayor said the city already offers residents several options to properly dispose of unwanted items. When people choose to dump illegally, he believes they should face consequences.
"I want those folks to be caught. I want those folks to be charged. I want those folks to pay a big dollar amount when they do that," Johnson said. "These cameras help to make that happen."
DNS spokesperson Jeremy McGovern said the city received 557 illegal dumping complaints in 2025, the highest total on record. Through the first nine months of this year, the department has received 240 complaints, putting the city on pace for a lower monthly average.
City leaders say the cameras are meant to serve as both an enforcement tool and a deterrent. Under Milwaukee ordinances, illegal dumpers can face fines of up to $5,000.
Currently, the city has 20 cameras in operation.
With the addition of these 16 new cameras, the city will now have 36 cameras focused on illegal dumping hot spots in the city. The goal is to get to 100 by the end of the year.
For Near West Side Partners, success will be measured by more than citations.
"What would make this successful is if we can catch the people that are actually doing the dumping," Lucas said. "Promoting this to be a clean neighborhood and making it lively again for people to want to visit the neighborhood, want to engage with us and want to do more friendly community events."
Carson said residents consistently tell ambassadors that illegal dumping hurts neighborhood pride.
"It's an eyesore," Carson said. "It makes their property look bad, and the neighborhood in general. It makes the whole neighborhood look bad."
How neighborhood groups can get involved
Johnson encouraged neighborhood organizations experiencing illegal dumping to work with the city.
"It takes partnership. It takes collaboration," Johnson said. "I encourage other organizations to partner with us to do the exact same thing if they're seeing illegal dumping happening in the neighborhoods that they care about too."
Lucas said cameras alone won't solve the problem.
"You have to care to make an impact," she said. "Being active, engaging, coming to community meetings, doing community cleanups and things, all of that matters to help keep the neighborhood clean. It can't just be the cameras."
McGovern said the ultimate goal isn't issuing more citations but reducing illegal dumping altogether. He said DNS would like to see activity drop so significantly that the camera program eventually becomes unnecessary.
As additional cameras come online, city officials and community leaders say they'll continue measuring whether the program reduces dumping complaints, holds offenders accountable and improves quality of life in Milwaukee neighborhoods.
Contact DNS: https://city.milwaukee.gov/dns/programs/dumping
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