Camden leaders to unveil plan to reward residents who help fight illegal dumping
CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) — Illegal dumping continues to be an issue for people living in Camden, but soon city leaders will announce new efforts on how they're planning to address the problem.
"There's no respect for the neighborhood," said Angel Jimenez, a longtime community member.
Illegal dumping is a big issue in the area, he said.
"Trash, four-by-fours, anything you can imagine," he said about what he's seen dumped in his community.
Jimenez says he's called Camden home for nearly 40 years. He says illegal dumping has been a problem for as long as he can remember.
"It's a big issue because you are going to get rats and mice around here," he said.
Brian Williams lives in the area of Broadway and Carl Miller Boulevard in Camden. He believes people who don't even live in the area are behind the dumping.
Williams says it's frustrating.
"It makes me feel bad. You see it every day. You got to walk past it. I try to clean up a lot. Cut grass. Keep stuff clean. It's just terrible," he said.
According to the city, hundreds of thousands of pounds of trash are dumped in Camden every year.
CBS News Philadelphia was there last summer when advocates and federal officials went on a bus tour of several dump sites.
City leaders continue to have talks about how to stop the problem. In June, city council passed a new ordinance that empowers the community to get involved.
The ordinance will allow authorities to hand out up to $1,000 to anyone who provides information that helps lead to an arrest and conviction.
"They have been doing something," Jimenez said.
Jimenez credits the city for trying to stop illegal dumping
He says he welcomes any new plans, including reward money, that will help clean up his community.
"A lot of people really need it," he said about the reward money. "You know, why not? That would be nice."
On Monday, city leaders will be holding a new conference to talk about their efforts to curb illegal dumping, including the new ordinance. They will also talk about how cameras play an important role to help them fight the issue.