City of Dallas to put AI cameras on garbage trucks to identify code violations

Photo by Camilo Diaz Jr.

Written by Dallas Documenter Jenna Stephenson

The Dallas city manager’s proposed 2025-2026 fiscal budget includes $853,000 to outfit 50 sanitation vehicles with cameras that use artificial intelligence to identify “common nuisance violations” like high weeds, litter and graffiti. The cameras will scan public rights-of-way during sanitation routes.

Code Compliance Director Christopher Christian explained the proposed initiative at the Dallas City Council’s Aug. 12 budget workshop. Christian said the city has already conducted a four-day pilot program, which successfully flagged over 3,000 code violations with 95% accuracy.

Christian told council members that while a human will review each violation identified by the camera, he expects the department’s labor demand to remain steady as the program is rolled out.

The cameras will assign each violation a “blight score” to help staff prioritize cases brought to their attention by the AI. The goal is send out educational notices, Christian said, since the majority of code violations are resolved through voluntary compliance.

A resident at the Aug. 19 budget town hall for District 7 asked how Code Enforcement can be involved in community clean-ups, and Code Enforcement Administrator Elonda Chilton pointed to the AI cameras as a key strategy to make the department more proactive.

Approval of a similar initiative in Huntsville, Alabama was delayed earlier this summer because of privacy and operating cost concerns.

Dallas’ AI camera program is set to be approved with the city’s budget on Wednesday, following council member amendments.