MEMPHIS, Tenn.– Raleigh residents are fed up with illegal dumping in their community and one concerned citizen is making an effort to get the city to take action.
X marks the spot or in this case red spray paint.
Arthur Nolen said the tires and bags of debris you see on Morgan Road were tagged by the city months ago.
“This area is neglected,” he said. “I would like for the city to show a little more love for the city of Memphis.”
Nolen has lived in this Raleigh neighborhood for 65 years. He reached out to WREG hoping the city will hear his cry for help.
“When we call them, when we call code enforcement don’t take six months to come out here and clean up and then when you do, you half clean up,” he said.
He believes the solution to deter dumpers could be an extra set of eyes in the sky.
“You put a camera right here on that pole and when someone come out here and dump, the camera will at least get some of it.”
A representative with the City of Memphis, addressed concerns about the illegal dumping on Monday, saying:
We share the frustration of residents and businesses owners who have been affected by illegal dumping at this location. Environmental Code Enforcement issued a notice of violation to the property owner on January 31, 2022. If the private property owner fails to comply, the owner will receive a summons to appear in Environmental Court.
The majority of illegal dumping cases on private property are caused by commercial enterprises trying to avoid landfill fees. Commercial enterprises include but are not limited to haulers, general contractors, and landlords. Illegal dumping violators could arrest and fines, in addition to paying restitution. Also, the State has been successful in issuing indictments for charges including Theft of Services, Aggravated Criminal Littering, and Vandalism over $1,000.
Reporting illegal dumping allows the city to re-evaluate future deployment of surveillance cameras and prioritize the efficient use of its resources.
Arlenia Cole, the Media Affairs Manager with the City of Memphis
Meanwhile, Nolen said he fears the problem could get worse due to debris from the ice storm.
“If people don’t want to leave stuff in front of their house because the city is so slow in coming to pick stuff up, then they’ll bring it to a place like this where there are no houses,” he said.
The city said if the property owner does not comply, they will receive a summons to appear in Environmental Court.
