(WSVN) - Residents in one South Florida neighborhood are fed up with the illegal dumping of trash outside their homes. 7’s Brian Entin shows us why it is causing a “Mess of Trouble.”
Garbage trucks make their way down the streets of Hialeah, but in one neighborhood, they drive right past piles of trash.
Ana, lives nearby: “There’s tires, dead animals, furniture.”
That’s only what you can see through the brush along this small strip of land on East 11th Avenue and 20th Street.
Neighbors say people come here to illegally dump garbage, but no one picks it up.
Ana: “It looks like a dumpster because the City of Hialeah, nobody pays attention to picking up the trash.”
Ana’s brother, David, says last year the trash got so out of control, he cleaned it up himself.
David, Ana’s brother: “I probably cleaned it up a year ago, just before the hurricane. Since then, they haven’t been there to clean up the garbage.”
These images captured by Google Maps show the area was clean back in 2014, with no dumping signs posted every few feet along the road.
But one neighbor, who didn’t want to be identified, says the illegal dumping became worse after the city switched to a private company to pick up trash.
Neighbor: “You know, they were picking it up. But as soon as they outsourced the service, you know, they haven’t done anything.”
The city does pick up bulk trash in front of houses on a regular basis. But officials told neighbors here they would have to pay extra for trash to be picked up from the empty lot.
David: “What they were saying is that when they signed a contract with a new waste management company, they didn’t include that stretch. So now, anytime they gotta pick up garbage, it comes out of their own pocket, apparently.”
Neighbors say the city should charge the dumpers.
They have taken pictures and videos of the offenders, but hit a brick wall when they tried to get police involved.
David: “I just got bounced around so many times, it was just so confusing. I kind of gave up on that.”
Ana has called and emailed the city several times.
Ana: “I haven’t heard back from them. The City of Hialeah is not responding to me.”
We called the city, too. They have not returned our messages either.
Ana: “We just need guidance. We want the trash to be picked up.”
And they say they will keep fighting to clean up this mess of trouble.
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