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Oakland, California

Oakland Public Works is advancing a 6-month aerial detection pilot for illegal dumping, with a $150,000 budget funded by the Comprehensive Clean-Up Fund. The program passed the Privacy Advisory Commission in March 2026.

Program Overview

Status

Active Procurement
Privacy Advisory Commission review complete. Moving to City Council for approval.

Pilot Budget

$150,000
3 milestone payments of $50,000. Funded from Fund 1720 (Comprehensive Clean-Up Fund) — no general fund impact.

Duration

6 Months
72 planned flights covering approximately 1,440 linear road miles across designated coverage areas.

Sponsoring Department

Oakland Public Works
Environmental Services Division. Director: Liam Garland. Submitted through the Public Works & Transportation Committee.

Privacy Protections

The program operates under a comprehensive Use Policy developed with and amended by Oakland's Privacy Advisory Commission. Key protections include:

Data Protection Framework

  • No facial recognition — the system does not identify or track individuals
  • No license plate reading — no vehicle identification capability
  • No personally identifiable information retained — PII is removed during the image processing pipeline
  • Public rights of way only — photography limited to public streets and property
  • Geofencing — camera targeting focused on designated public areas
  • Private infrastructure — data processed on Aerbits' own servers with proprietary AI models, no third-party cloud

Data Retention

  • Unredacted originals: Deleted within 1 week of collection
  • Redacted images (public locations, no PII): Up to 6 months
  • Oakland-exclusive clause: Images taken in Oakland cannot be used for any other client, jurisdiction, or as training data for other clients

Oversight

  • Annual public report on system use and impact
  • Quarterly spot-check audits of downloaded content
  • Consultant deletion certifications documented in annual report
  • Access limited to OPW Director, Assistant Director, KOCB Director, and Director-designated staff

How It Works

The aerial detection system uses drone-mounted cameras and AI to identify illegal dumping on public streets. The process:

  1. Aerial survey: Drone flies systematic routes over designated coverage areas, capturing high-resolution images
  2. AI analysis: Custom-trained computer vision model identifies abandoned trash — large piles, furniture, mattresses, appliances, construction debris
  3. Geospatial mapping: Each detection is tagged with GPS coordinates, severity classification, and waste characterization
  4. Dispatch: Cleanup crews receive prioritized lists with photo evidence and location data, enabling right-sized equipment deployment
  5. Verification: Follow-up flights confirm whether sites have been cleaned, providing photo proof for work order closure

The Problem in Oakland

Oakland's illegal dumping challenge is well-documented in public records:

  • 25,000+ illegal dumping calls per year (per SB 1218 enforcement data)
  • 1.1% citation rate — 270 citations from 25,000 reports
  • $228,000 in fines assessed, only $21,500 collected (9.4% collection rate)
  • 189 cases unresolved in the system
  • The current complaint-based system favors neighborhoods that report more, regardless of actual need — creating an equity gap in cleanup resource deployment

The aerial detection program shifts from a complaint-driven to a data-driven approach, ensuring all neighborhoods receive equitable coverage regardless of complaint volume.

Public Timeline

November 2025
Privacy Advisory Commission unanimously approved the existing illegal dumping camera annual report and use policy, establishing precedent for technology-assisted dumping detection.
March 5, 2026
PAC Hearing — Action Item V.1: "Aerial Cameras For Illegal Dumping Identification." Oakland Public Works presented the Use Policy (11 sections), Surveillance Impact Report, and $150K pilot proposal. Memorandum from OPW included. Full agenda packet (PDF)
March 2026
Amended Use Policy incorporating Privacy Advisory Commission amendments circulated. Policy strengthens data retention limits, access controls, and Oakland-exclusive data clauses.
March 24, 2026
Oakland City Council — program expected on the council agenda for approval of the pilot contract and $150K budget from Fund 1720.

Key Public Officials

Oakland Public Works

  • Liam Garland — Director, Oakland Public Works
  • Kristin Hathaway — Assistant Director, Bureau of Environment
  • John Hillmon — Operations Manager, Keep Oakland Clean & Beautiful (KOCB)
  • Derek Lee — Environmental Services Manager, Environmental Services Division

City Council & Oversight

  • Rebecca Kaplan — Oakland City Council member championing the program
  • Jessica Leavitt — Chair, Privacy Advisory Commission (Mayoral Representative)
  • Henry Gage III — Vice Chair, Privacy Advisory Commission (Council At-Large Representative)

Related Coverage

All information on this page comes from public meetings, official city documents, publicly filed reports, and communications to or from public officials acting in their official capacity.