Camden officials are now offering residents money for reporting illegal dumpers

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Camden officials announced Monday a new weapon in catching people who dump their trash illegally within city limits. They are now offering rewards of up to $1,000 for tips and evidence that lead to the arrest and conviction of violators.

“We wanted to find a way of rewarding folks, because we understand that residents don’t want to rat other folks out when it comes to this illegal dumping,” said Councilwoman Jannette Ramos, who shepherded the bill through Camden City Council beginning in May. “Having this reward of $500 to $1,000 is an incentive for residents to be able to present these videos and these pictures and these tips on where the illegal dumping is happening.”

To get the reward, residents have to report incidents — through 911 or with the police department’s tip line — and provide evidence that can assist in the investigation, according to Camden County Police Lt. Gordon Harvey.

“The key of all this is we want to have as many ways to make it as convenient as possible for the residents or the tipsters to be able to report to the police department and then open a dialogue with the investigator,” he said.

Anonymous tips are welcomed. But to qualify for the reward, Harvey said residents must identify themselves when reporting incidents.

“Really the incentive behind the work and the meaning behind the reward is to initiate the investigative process to stop illegal dumping,” he added.

Illegal dumping has been a top priority for Mayor Vic Carstarphen when he started leading the city in 2021. At the time, he worked with Asm. Bill Moen on a proposal to raise fines for illegal dumping. It stalled in the last legislative session.

Through a $500,000 grant from U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross, a citywide network of cameras was built to catch dumpers in the act. Some of the images were used during a press conference that took place at Camden County Police headquarters on Monday.