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San Francisco, California

Aerbits ran a 13-month self-funded aerial detection pilot in San Francisco's Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood from 2022 to 2023. The program produced a 94% reduction in active dumpsites, filed over 1,500 reports to SF 311, and built deep community support through neighborhood organizations and a resident signature campaign.

Pilot Results

Reduction Achieved

94%
Active dumpsites reduced from 118 to 7 in 26 days of consistent detection and reporting.

311 Reports Filed

1,500+
525 large piles, 264 bagged garbage, 98 furniture, 26 mattresses, 21 toxic liquids, 16 appliances, 6 overflowing cans.

Coverage Area

~1 sq mi
Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood, District 10. Approximately 1 square mile of systematic aerial coverage.

Duration

13 Months
March 2022 through 2023. Self-funded by Aerbits as a proof-of-concept demonstration.

Controlled Experiment: The A-B-A Study

The Bayview pilot included a controlled withdrawal study that demonstrated the causal impact of aerial detection. When flights stopped for two weeks, dumping rebounded — then dropped again when flights resumed.

Phase A: Detection Active
7
Active dumpsites after 26 days
Down from 118 baseline
Phase B: 2-Week Pause
73
Dumpsites returned during
detection hiatus
Phase A: Detection Resumed
5
After 24 more days of reporting
Lowest count in 3 months

Key finding: When detection stopped, dumping returned. When detection resumed, dumping dropped to its lowest level — just 5 active sites. Consistent detection is the key to sustained clean streets.

SF 311 Integration

The San Francisco pilot demonstrated direct integration with the city's 311 system. Working with the SF 311 Customer Service Center, Aerbits developed programmatic API access to file and track reports automatically. Every detection was submitted with GPS coordinates, photo documentation, and waste classification — enabling the city to dispatch cleanup crews with complete information.

Community Engagement

The Bayview pilot was built with deep community involvement over more than a year:

Neighborhood Partnerships

  • Bayview Hill Neighborhood Association (BHNA) — served as the primary community partner throughout the pilot, providing local knowledge, meeting space, and resident outreach
  • Refuse Refuse — San Francisco's leading citizen cleanup organization (3,800+ cleanups, 13,000+ volunteers since 2021). Founder Vincent Yuen became one of the program's most vocal advocates, testifying before the SF Public Works Commission
  • Presentations to Excelsior Action Group (D11), Bayview-Hunters Point Citizens Advisory Committee, Bayview Merchants Association, Glen Park Association, Dogpatch Neighborhood Association, and others
  • June 2022 signature campaign: During the pilot, dozens of Bayview residents and business owners wrote to Supervisors Walton and Safai and DPW Director Carla Short urging city funding for the program
  • Glen Park Association sent a formal letter of support to supervisors and DPW leadership

Continued Advocacy (2025–2026)

  • February–March 2025: Vincent Yuen (Refuse Refuse) and community members renewed the push to the SF Public Works Commission, giving public comment at Commissioner Post's invitation
  • May 2023: Brian Johnson presented Bayview pilot results at IDCon23, the Statewide Conference on Illegal Dumping, held in Alameda County — connecting with municipal leaders across California

Press Coverage

  • The San Francisco Standard (August 2023) — Feature coverage of the Bayview pilot program, including photos from community meetings and resident interviews. Read article →

Public Timeline

2021
Brian Johnson begins manually documenting and reporting illegal dumpsites in Bayview-Hunters Point by bike and later by drone, filing reports to SF 311.
Early 2022
Partnership with Bayview Hill Neighborhood Association established. Community meetings held to introduce the drone detection concept and gather resident input.
March 2022
13-month aerial detection pilot launches in Bayview-Hunters Point, covering approximately 1 square mile. Self-funded by Aerbits.
May – August 2022
Neighborhood presentation tour: Excelsior Action Group, Bayview CAC, Glen Park Association, Bayview Merchants Association, Dogpatch Neighborhood Association. Budget request ("Ask M333") submitted to Supervisors for FY2022-2023.
June 2022
Signature campaign: During the pilot, dozens of residents and business owners email city leadership urging program funding. Dumpsites in coverage area drop from 180 to 5. SF 311 API integration developed with the 311 Customer Service Center — over 1,500 reports filed.
July – August 2022
Glen Park Association sends formal support letter. DPW identifies $100,000 for pilot and begins scoping. Ride-along with DPW field crews.
May 2023
IDCon23 presentation: Brian Johnson presents Bayview pilot results at the Statewide Conference on Illegal Dumping in Alameda County.
July 2023
After an operational pause, drone flights resume in Bayview. Nearly 300 dumpsites found — the problem had regrown during the pause, underscoring the program's deterrent effect.
August 2023
The San Francisco Standard publishes feature coverage of the program.
February – March 2025
Vincent Yuen (Refuse Refuse) and community members renew the push to the SF Public Works Commission. Public comment given at Commissioner Post's invitation.

District Map

The Bayview pilot covered portions of District 10 (Supervisor Shamann Walton). Potential expansion areas include District 11 (Supervisor Chyanne Chen — Excelsior, Outer Mission) and District 9 (Supervisor Jackie Fielder — Mission, Bernal Heights, Portola).

Current SF Board of Supervisors — Relevant Districts

  • District 10: Shamann Walton — Bayview-Hunters Point, Dogpatch, Potrero Hill, Visitacion Valley
  • District 11: Chyanne Chen — Excelsior, Ingleside, Outer Mission
  • District 9: Jackie Fielder — Mission, Bernal Heights, Portola

SF DPW Director: Carla Short

Related Coverage

All information on this page comes from public meetings, published press coverage, publicly filed reports, presentations at public conferences, and communications to or from public officials acting in their official capacity.