NATCHEZ &045;&045; Smile … if you illegally dump trash along Adams County roads, you may be caught by one of the county’s candid cameras.

Early next week several motion cameras will be installed at sites of frequent illegal dumping.

The hidden cameras will begin recording if they sense motion in the area. The Road Department will view tapes and file charges against anyone caught dumping.

Cameras will be periodically moved in order to cover more territory.

Those caught will be sent to Justice Court and fined.

In the past, county officials had to witness the dumping in order to file charges.

&uot;I want to let people know that the cameras are out there,&uot; said Supervisor S.E. &uot;Spanky&uot; Felter, who proposed the purchase of the cameras a month ago.

&uot;We are giving them a chance to know that if they are caught illegally dumping they will be fined.&uot;

If called, the Road Department picks up items normal garbage trucks will not take, Road Manager Bobby Powell said.

The county also has two legal dumping sites for everything from furniture to used tires.

The Kingston Road/Chase Hill site from 1 to 7 p.m. except every day except Thursday and Sunday.

The Foster Mound/Steamplant Road site is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Fridays and Sundays.

Felter said the county spends over $200,000 each year on trash pickup.

&uot;It’s not the city, not the state, just the county,&uot; Felter said. &uot;That money could be spent in other ways, like blacktopping roads.&uot;

Each camera cost between $299 and $399. Powell would not release the number of cameras purchased to prevent residents from knowing what to look for.

Felter encouraged people to think before throwing out their trash. &uot;When people come to move into a county, they notice the trash on the side of the road,&uot; he said.

&uot;They look at how clean the area is. This is one of the best places in the world to live. It just has trash everywhere.&uot;

Powell said some of the worst illegal dumpsites were on Church Hill Road and Lower Woodville Road.

But dumping is a problem throughout the county.