KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Police and a city investigator caught five different people spreading their trash at the same location, all on the same day. It’s an example of why the battle to stop illegal dumping is not easy to win.
The area near 45th Street and Garfield Avenue is one of the worst illegal dumping locations in Kansas City. Police have a camera watch the area because in addition to trash, there have been other crimes in this secluded stretch including shootings, and cases of animal abuse where people have dumped the carcasses of dead dogs.
FOX 4 recorded video of trash that investigators say was all dumped on Tuesday, by five different people caught on both police and city cameras.
Investigators say two of the people ticketed by the city, Aaron Brown and Wallace Fox, made three trips to unload a pick up truck before police nabbed them coming back to unload garbage for a fourth time.
Amber Smith, who monitors surveillance cameras for Kansas City police, says it’s frustrating to catch someone red-handed, only to see someone else show up in the same place to commit the same crime, an hour or two later.
“Every day, every day somebody comes here and dumps,” said Smith, a KCPD computer specialist. “It’s just like it’s a common thing. This is the number one dump site we have in Kansas City. It’s disheartening a little bit.”
The five people caught dumping have all been cited by the city, and can expect to face fines of at least $750 each.
In the cases of Brown and Wallace, they each face fines of at least $2,250.
Despite the cameras and all the tickets and fines, police and city investigators know they may be back out again next week to do it all again.
The city council Thursday passed an illegal dumping ordinance to increase bulky items pickups and install dumpsters in neighborhoods. It’s not know yet if a city trash can will be set up along 45th Street & Garfield Avenue.
