Philadelphia issuing 1,000 tickets to crack down on trash dumping

Philadelphia says it’s ratcheting up its fight against people dumping trash.  

Deputy Streets Commissioner Carlton Williams says Philadelphia is working to prevent people from dumping massive quanities of trash on the streets and on vacant lots.

Williams says sanitation officers have issued more than a thousand tickets in the past year.

“The number one thing that we need to continuously do is educate the public on what the laws are,” said Williams.  “Issues like trash set out too early lead to illegal dumping and littering, where bags have been placed out too early animals, rodents get to them and it becomes a litter condition on the street.”

Councilman Jim Kenney says he wants to use prisoners to clean up the problem.

“On a voluntary basis, paid ten dollars an hour, to leave the facility every day with an ankle bracelet not dressed in a prison orange jumpsuit, but in regular working attire to help us to clean up this debris,” said Kenney.

Councilman Kenyatta Johnson says he is considering a bill allowing police to confiscate the vehicles of people caught dumping trash.