MEMPHIS, Tenn.– After seeing a WREG story about illegal dumping at a Raleigh church, one group that works with felony offenders wants to help.
Those with Egypt Baptist Church say they’re doing all they can to handle the problem but they can’t seem to get things under control and it’s not their garbage.
However, people like Colleen McAllister, the Director of Correctional Alternatives, want to help.
“We supervise the clients according to the court order. A lot of them have community service work to do, restitution to pay,” McAllister said.
It’s a grant-run program through the Tennessee Department of Corrections to supervise felony offenders. She heard about the church’s problem.
“I actually was watching News Channel 3,” she said. “At my agency, we’re always looking for very worthy projects to do with our community service program and when I talked to the church they said that nobody else had volunteered to help.”
The church received a summons for the mess. Church members appeared before a judge in Environmental Court Monday morning.
“He issued an order for the city to clean up their part,” said James Holmes, chairman of building and grounds at Egypt Baptist Church.
They said he also asked environmental officers to put in a request to clean up the county part as well as add cameras and lighting and cite those responsible.
McAllister said big items like couches and TVs need to be removed before her team can help out.
“We’re gonna try to maintain the property once it’s cleared out of all the big items,” she said.
However, Holmes is still concerned about where residents will dump their trash once the area is cleaned up.
“My concern still is if the county is not going to maintain their half of the road and I’ve got a clean side, where do you think they’re going to continue to dump their stuff,” he said.
The church is set to appear back in court at the end of the month. We’ll keep you posted on the cleanup.