Dangerous Dump Sites: What’s being done to clean up neighborhoods?

DAYTON — People say their neighborhood is being treated like a dumpster and they’ve had enough. It’s a problem city officials told News Center 7 that they battle consistently.

News Center 7′s Taylor Robertson talked to Dayton’s Public Works Department about what is being done to stop illegal dumping in the city.

When people look out their back window, they see trash filling the backyard of a nearby vacant home.

Gary Taylor, who lives in Dayton, said, “How do you allow this to happen? This used to be a beautiful neighborhood.”

Taylor has lived in the Santa Clara neighborhood for nearly 50 years and said illegal dumping has always been an issue.

“Somebody will come down the street and just throw bags of trash out the car and we complain about it, me and my neighbors, it’s like nothing is being done,” Taylor said.

Fred Stovall, with the City of Dayton Public Works Department, said they have their hands full on this issue. “We use about 50 cameras that we use to monitor various sites where we know there’s an ongoing issue with illegal dumping. In 2023, we had 19 convictions from 19 cases that we submitted for illegal dumping,”

And, so far this year, they have convicted seven people of illegal dumping.

“I clearly want people to know if you are out there doing illegal dumping in the city of Dayton, we are going to come after you and prosecute you to the fullest of the law,” Stovall said. He continued by saying, “We’re fully engaged. We have personnel that monitor sites regularly. We also have a great collaboration with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office that has a dedicated deputy for illegal dumping.”

It happens all over the city, often in neighborhoods and back alleys.

“You’re interrupting quality of life in neighborhoods,” Stovall said.

There are options for people who need to get rid of trash. People can take tree limbs and debris to the city’s green landfill site. For bulk trash pickup, call the Public Works Department and schedule it.

“Or you can go to the Montgomery County Transfer Station if you have trash that you need to get rid of. And that’s a nominal fee that they charge to dispose,” Stovall said.

He continues by saying that the fee is much cheaper than the court costs if someone is convicted of illegal dumping.

“Just do the right thing and dispose of the trash properly,” Stovall said.

Taylor wants the same. “It’s your home, yes, it’s where my kids grew up. They know they’re doing wrong.”

Stovall wants residents who see illegal dumping to let the city know so they can prosecute them.

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