Systems Chief Spots Dumps In Aerial Shots
Environmental officials in Benton County, Ark., were able to discover 29 illegal trash dumps with help from a new technology project known as the Northwest Arkansas Imagery Project. The project utilizes aerial photography technology and combines that with highly detailed maps.
By using a computer and overhead projector, users can take a close look at geographical and man-made features such as lakes, streets, homes, bridges, boat docks, and property boundaries. “You can’t read license plates, but you can count the cars in the parking lot and see what color they are,” says John McLarty, transportation planner at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission.
The technology has many applications. For instance, emergency management officials could use it to help rescue workers find missing people in remote locations, and county assessors can use it to view property boundaries and lot splits. The technology cost $200,000, and several organizations, jurisdictions, and agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers, helped foot the bill.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (02/24/05); Smith, Robert J. .
