Garbage behavior: Yonkers police crackdown on illegal dumping
Yonkers police say they've made multiple arrests recently in connection to illegal dumping.
More Stories
Yonkers police say they've made multiple arrests recently in connection to illegal dumping.
Public information officer Detective Lt. Frank DiDomizio says the department is taking out the trash, literally.
"So, we received a lot of complaints of dumping. A lot of people in our parks department referred incidents to us," DiDomizio says.
Didomizio says a lot of the complaints were coming out of Scotti Park.
This motivated the officers to put up a camera and start a six-week investigation that ended in some arrests.
"They got two people that were dumping in that area and someone else who was dumping, which was referred to us by a resident and City Hall, who had dumped in the Cumberland Drive area and Central Park Avenue area," DiDomizio says.
Police say all of the suspects were men and were caught dumping items like tires and furniture.
Neighbor Jimmy Garcia says the dirty crime is not very nice.
"I think it's disgusting," Garcia says. "It can be pollution; it can be other people have to remove it. It's ridiculous, I mean it's not civic."
Officials say the garbage behavior also comes with a hefty price tag.
"If you dump in Yonkers, you'll be charged a minimum fine of $5,000, maximum of $10,000, and your vehicle that you did use to dump will be subject to seizure by Yonkers police," DiDomizio says.
As police continue to crack down on the crime, Councilman John Rubbo is encouraging people to report the rule breakers.
"We have a set of eyes and ears, but together we're reporting these things that affect the quality of life and keep our city clean and safe," Rubbo says.
Officials encourage residents to use the Yonkers Recycling Center, while business owners are encouraged to purchase a commercial garbage service.
