(Memphis) The battle against illegal dumping in the city of Memphis rages on and now one Memphis city councilman is proposing a new ordinance to discourage it.
“It says that if we catch you doing this type of stuff, we will be able to boot and or tow your car,” said Councilman Lee Harris.
The current ordinance fines those who are dumping $50.
The new ordinance, if approved by the Memphis City Council, would fine dumpers and then tow them if they do no pay.
A second new ordinance would charge those who are illegal dumping $50 for every tire that is dumped.
There are currently 156 hotspots for dumping across Memphis that Harris said is used by habitual dumpers.
“For mosquitoes, rodents and crime because when the community looks like no one cares about it, it encourages criminals to engage in their behavior,” said Harris.
Right now there is no penalty if you do not pay the fine.
Harris said after this ordinance he is ready to take the illegal dumping battle to the next level, “Next for me are the cameras. We have 150 hotspots and I would like to put up cameras at some of those hotspots. They would be rotating cameras and they would be covert cameras. They wouldn’t be at the same spots all the time and you wouldn’t be able to tell where they were.”
The two ordinances are expected to go before city council February 3 after being delayed January 22, 2012.
