SAN ANTONIO — Makeshift mounds of trash popping up on the northeast is causing frustration for residents like John Richard, who often walks around the Camelot neighborhood for some exercise.
The cleanup of such cluttered areas is costing taxpayers thousands of dollars.
Richard, who’s lived in the Camelot neighborhood for five years, is tired of the unsightly mess.
“Trash on the road, mattresses, shopping carts,” Richard said. “It makes the neighborhood look trashy.”
In recent weeks, a team of Bexar County authorities worked together on investigating cases of illegal dumping in the Camelot neighborhood, which led to the arrests of Rhonda Dutton and Larry Donell Williams.
“We are out here; we are taking people to jail for illegal dumping. It is a serious crime and you’ll go to jail for it,” said Billie Dorries, Bexar County senior environmental crimes investigator.
Dutton was charged with a misdemeanor while Williams faces a state jail felony for illegally dumping more than 200 pounds of trash for commercial purposes.
Dorries said convenience and lack of affordability are the main reasons why people throw away mattresses, box springs and other unwanted items on the streets and alleyways.
Five neighborhoods, including Camelot, Glen north and south, Candlewood Park and Crownwood, are considered problem zones for illegal dumping, although Dorries noted the criminal activity has gone down due to heightened public awareness about the issue and alternative solutions to dumping.
Bexar County’s Solid Waste Program offers several trash pickup services at $27 a month and $24 a month for senior and disabled citizens who live in the five mentioned neighborhoods.
Dorries said participation has increased in the 2021-launched program.
“For the people in those neighborhoods, that program alleviates some of the problem; it alleviates some of the financial burden,” Dorries said.
The consequences of illegal dumping falls on the taxpayers with some cleanups costing tens of thousands of dollars, according to Dorries.
The Bexar County Environmental Services Department has cameras setup in various areas to monitor sites where illegal dumping is prevalent to aid in investigations.
Investigators plan to focus their efforts in communities on the south side of unincorporated Bexar County.
“We’re having to spend taxpayer money to keep your neighborhoods clean when all we really need to do is stop the illegal dumping,” Dorries said.
To learn more about the Solid Waste Program, call 210-335-6644 or click here.