MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Frayser is a Memphis community trying desperately to fix its image problem, and having some success lately, especially with fighting gangs and crime.

However, people who care about their part of town wish the city would do more to catch people who have been treating a baseball park like a dump.

Monday night, WREG saw tires, broken fans, empty boxes, mattresses, and bags of leaves in the parking lot of Rodney Baber Park on James Road.

WREG’s cameras were rolling when a man pulled up in a pickup truck, ready to unload tree trimmings and branches.

“We’ve been doing it for years! How come you don’t have a no dumping sign up?” he said.

Even though we told him this was a public park, he still wasn’t convinced, telling us everyone takes their trash here.

“I’m double checking now. That’s what I’m doing now,” he said while trying to call the city.

Eventually he left, saying he’ll find another place to dump his waste.

“People actually think it is an illegal dump site, but you pass a sign that says Rodney Baber Park,” DeAndre Brown, executive director of Lifeline to Success, said.

Brown works every day to fight blight in Frayser, and said this ball park has been a big battle for years.

“The city is here at least two times a week picking up stuff they shouldn’t have to pick up,” he said.

In the mound of trash, WREG saw empty alcohol and prescription bottles, broken toilet seats and glass — things you don’t want your kids touching.

“There’s not really a certainty of what’s in that stuff. There could knives, broken glass, anything,” Brittney Hubert said.

Hubert and her 7-year-old son could walk to the park, but she refuses to go.

“It is terrible. Lots of people in this neighborhood have children. That’s like the closet park that we have,” she said.

Other folks who live nearby said it’s a shame people have no respect for the park, because kids need something positive to do.

“Especially out here, like there’s lot of crime and what not. They need something to do to keep them out of trouble,” Jared Hamer said.

“When you see trash dumped, it lends a perception that no one cares. If the community feels like no one cares, then why try?” Brown, who hopes people stop dumping and start caring, said.

Brown said youth programs use the park, but would take advantage of it more if it was cleaned up.

WREG emailed and called city officials to find out what they’re doing to stop the trash problem, but never heard back.