LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Public tips helped Metro Solid Waste officers identify an illegal dumper, fine the man and impound his vehicle.
The department released surveillance pictures Wednesday of the suspect illegally dumping debris and trash out of his truck in an alley in District 6 a couple weeks ago. By the end of the day, the team responsible for investigating the case received at least eight tips identifying the man.
“You couldn’t see the license plate because of the way he was angled with the tailgate down,” said Robert Lush, the compliance enforcement supervisor for Metro Solid Waste. “And the truck was kind of out of frame, but you could see him clearly.”
The officers went to the man’s house Thursday morning and served him with the citation, which includes a $500 fine. The man was also charged a $250 clean-up fee, and his vehicle was impounded for 72 hours. Lush said when the man goes to pick up his truck, he will probably have to pay another $250 in impound fees.
Lush said the man admitted to dumping the truckload of trash and came to the office to pay the fees Thursday afternoon.
“This individual, he said, ‘That was me. I was in the wrong. Shouldn’t have done it, but I did,’” Lush said. “Something he said was, ‘I hold my kids accountable, so why wouldn’t I hold myself?’”
This is the sixth vehicle the department has impounded since Jan. 1. Lush said in the last couple years, the team has probably impounded 60 to 80 vehicles, and he believes it has made a dent in how many people dump junk.
A team of six Metro Solid Waste employees is tasked with cleaning up the city one junk pile at a time. Lush is the Compliance Enforcement Supervisor over five officers. The county is split into three territories, covered by three of those officers as inspectors. The other two officers are part of the litter abatement crew.
Together, the team monitors and cleans up known dumping grounds and investigates more than 6,000 reports every year. The team did not suffer any losses during the city-wide budget cuts, so they will continue to make progress, Lush said.
One way the officers track and investigate illegal dumpers is by setting up hidden surveillance cameras. The department has more than 30 cameras they are able to move around to different areas. The surveillance pictures that were responsible for catching the illegal dumper in District 6 came from one of those cameras.
The team investigates every report and tip. If there is not a city camera in a location, they can often use private security footage if it’s made available.
“Many people have those Ring doorbells and such,” Lush said. “They’ll capture it on their own surveillance cameras, and we can use that.”
To report illegal dumping, please contact the Department of Public Works Enforcement Unit at 574-8455 or use this contact form. You may remain anonymous.
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