PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Providence is installing eight cameras in areas around the city prone to illegal trash dumping.

City Public Works Director Russell Knight says the motion-activated cameras are housed in small metal boxes and mounted on telephone poles.

When a camera detects movement, the lens cover pops open and it takes pictures. The images can be stored in a memory card in the camera or be sent by Wi-Fi to a computer.

Knight tells The Providence Journal the high-resolution images are clear enough to make out faces and license plates. One car illegally dumping has already been spotted.

A spokesman for the mayor’s office says the cameras cost $6,000 to $8,000 each, but are worth it considering the cost of sending a crew and equipment to clean up dumped trash.