CitiWatch Cameras / Civic Tech
A detection is only useful if someone can act.
Reframing Baltimore’s camera network as a targeted operational data opportunity for illegal-dumping response.
01 / The tension
Illegal-dumping reports were largely reactive. Baltimore already had camera infrastructure; the harder question was where better detection could lead to a useful city response.
I examined camera coverage and geographic incident patterns, and worked with Google AI/ML partners to explore detection feasibility. The work had to connect technical capability with operational priorities, privacy, and the realities of a city service.
02 / The decisions
Prioritise places before scaling detection.
I focused on geographic prioritisation and higher-impact locations, using the existing network as the starting point.
Uniform, city-wide automation offered broader coverage, but introduced more technical and governance complexity before the operating model was established.
Define value at the point of response.
I framed the recommendations around actionable intelligence for city leadership, rather than model performance alone.
A detection capability could demonstrate technical promise without improving an operational decision. The product had to account for the people and processes receiving the signal.
03 / What I built
I owned problem framing, camera and incident analysis, geographic prioritisation, opportunity definition, and executive communication. Technical partners and city stakeholders informed the feasibility and recommendations.
04 / What changed
coverage framework
A data-driven approach to prioritising camera coverage and higher-impact geographic areas.
AI-assisted detection
Analysis and recommendations to inform camera optimisation—not a claim of a deployed city-wide detector or measured incident reduction.
The lesson I’m taking forward.
The strongest insight was operational: model capability is one link in the chain. A useful civic product also needs a clear response path and responsible constraints. Technical feasibility matters when it supports an action the city can realistically take.