Cleveland recorded 4,993 reports of illegal dumping over the past year, according to 311 data cited in a Signal Cleveland report. The article pairs that figure with a request for residents to describe dumping problems in their neighborhoods.
Ward 11 City Council Member Nikki Hudson recently used a full council meeting to air her concerns about illegal dumping both in her ward and across Cleveland, Signal Cleveland reported. Hudson told the outlet that her constituents are offended and that their neighborhood should not be treated as a garbage dump.
The material left behind includes tires, household trash bags, mattresses and contractor debris, according to city data. Such items have appeared on empty lots and near vacant homes. Hudson and some residents view illegal dumping as a quality-of-life problem, not just an aesthetic one, Signal Cleveland reported. The outlet noted that trash can make a block less attractive and draw rodents.
Signal Cleveland is asking Cleveland residents who encounter active or recurring dumping sites to share photographs and details. The request covers dumping on a street, block or neighborhood alley.