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Raleigh Poised To Crack Down On Illegal Dumping

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Illegal dumping is a growing problem in Raleigh. But unlike smaller cities with the same problem, Raleigh does not have anyone to stop it and punish the people responsible.

That soon may change.

A mattress, a Winnie-the-Pooh bear and a clothes dryer recently were dumped on a lot illegally, prompting Harold Mayo to call the lot "an eyesore.

"I wish it wasn't there," Mayo said.

Mayo works at the Spring Arbor Assisted Living Center -- located right next to the cluttered lot. He said his residents should not have to look at it.

City leaders do not think they should, either.

"Some people find it more convenient to take it somewhere and leave it, rather than take it to the landfill," said Bobby Broadway, of Raleigh's solid waste department.

Broadway said illegal dumping is out of control in parts of the city.

"Dead end streets, vacant lots," he said.

That is why the city manager wants to hire a code enforcement officer who would strictly concentrate on surveillance of illegal dump sites.

The goal: Catch the culprits.

Illegal dumping is not just a problem for the city of Raleigh. It also is a problem for people who work hard to keep their property looking good.

"If they are walking, and they take a walk around the building, I guess they've gotten used so to it, they don't see it anymore," Mayo said of the Spring Arbor residents.

If the City Council approves the new position, the officer also would patrol the Beltline for litter. That is in addition to promoting litter education and researching what other communities do to combat litter and illegal dumping.

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