Illegal dumping problems continue in Walnut Park West neighborhood - First Alert 4

Illegal dumping problems continue in Walnut Park West neighborhood

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Trash troubles are thriving again in parts of St. Louis.

Eric Miller and Carrie Shirley take pride in living in the Walnut Park West neighborhood.

“I just want to see more people who really care be involved more and care about the north side,” Miller said.

Since October First Alert 4 has been following their efforts to clean it up.

But since our last check-in, they said the trash problem and illegal dumping has become worse.

“There’s a lot of trash that gets sat next to the dumpsters and nothing gets picked up, just the dumpsters emptied and then sat back down,” Shirley said. “Sometimes on top of that existing trash. But then also I spoke with a neighbor yesterday and she said she saw a white van in that alley dumping some stuff.”

Alderwoman Pam Boyd says illegal dumping in her ward, Ward 13, has been a problem for years.

“People keep saying it’s people from outside but it’s not all people from outside,” Alderwoman Boyd said. “It’s people that are living in our community. People that are renting.”

One of the challenges the city faces is that Alderwoman Boyd says the special debris team tasked with handling dumping is understaffed, like several other departments within the city. “We can’t just keep thinking the city is going to fix it,” Alderwoman Boyd said. “I’m sorry we don’t have the manpower to do that.”

Despite city-owned surveillance cameras being added to the alleyway here, Alderwoman Boyd said it’s not helping.

“People are getting smarter because they know the cameras are there so they have the hoodies on, they put the mask on, they have the trucks with no license plates on them,” Alderwoman Boyd said.

Alderwoman Boyd is asking concerned residents to join the ward’s sanitation and beautification committee.

“We might have to put more lights in that alley,” Alderwoman Boyd said. “We might have to use the businesses around it and use their cameras. But we have to come together to come up with a solution.”

Alderwoman Boyd said she knows each neighborhood within her ward faces its own problems and wants to hear from people directly.

“If the residents aren’t involved and their voices aren’t at the table, nothing can happen,” Alderwoman Boyd said.

If you live in Ward 13 and want to join the sanitation and beautification committee, Alderwoman Boyd is encouraging you to call 314-622-3287.

Those cameras are helping police catch dumpers and if you get caught, you’ll get a $1,000 fine.

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