City Takes Aim at Illegal Dumpers

Editor’s note: The city is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of an illegal dumper. To report dumping, call 973-733-6000.

A task force aimed at stopping illegal dumping in the city has notched three recent arrests, which were  announced last week.

“The arrest of these persons further demonstrates the steps our administration is taking to ensure that Newark remains a beautiful city for our residents,” Mayor Cory Booker said in a statement.

“The Newark Police Department is committed to not only preventing and reducing violent crime but improving the overall quality of life here in Newark,” said Police Director Samuel DeMaio. “There are no victimless crimes and we will not tolerate anyone using our city as a dumping ground.”

On Jan. 5, detectives from the Inspector General’s office reviewed surveillance footage from a camera installed beneath the 1 and 9 Bridge at Foundry Street, a “hot spot” for dumping, officials said.

A U-Haul rental truck was seen depositing a large amount of boxes and documents in the area on Dec. 30, 2011. Detectives were able to identify the renters of the U-Haul, Xuyan and Alex Chan of Jersey City, who were issued summonses on Feb. 1.

On Jan. 30, the Newark Arson Squad and Newark police responded to 32-34 Seymour St., where residents saw the occupants of a pick-up truck leaving construction debris at the curb. Two weeks later, On Feb. 14, the arson squad’s Capt. Giovanni Guida was traveling on Bloomfield Avenue when he saw a pick-up truck that matched the description from the Seymour Street dumping.

Guida pulled the vehicle over and questioned the driver, Newark resident Roberto Lopez Rosario, who allegedly admitted to the illegal dumping. He and Raul Perez, also of Newark, were arrested.

In the third arrest, NPD officers Nelson Andree and Darnell Graham reportedly observed Anthony Armando of Newark depositing old tires at 399 Littleton Ave. Armando was arrested after officers spoke with the property’s owner and confirmed Armando did not have permission to leave the tires.

Authorities catch illegal dumpers in a variety of ways, including surveillance cameras, residents’ tips, and officials from a variety of city agencies taking note of dumping “hot spots,” said Tharien Karim Arnold, the director of the Department of  Neighborhood and Recreational Services.

City agencies are also teaming up and sharing information in order to nab dumpers. City employees are breaking out of their “silos” and tipping each other off about potential problems, Arnold said.

“Everything becomes inter-related with one another. We use our relationships to make the city a cleaner and safer place to be,” Arnold said.

Some ways agencies are working together to combat the problem include police keeping an eye out for trucks that don’t have the proper decals allowing them to leave waste at legal facilities, Arnold said. A hauler who lacks that credential is a likely suspect for illegal dumping.

“If you start making things uncomfortable for folks, they’ll see they can’t even drive through the city with the stuff,” Arnold said.

DeMaio, the police director, issued a directive in December ordering officers to act on istances of illegal dumping.

Contractors with construction debris make up a large percentage of the city’s illegal dumping, Arnold said. Homeowners from outside the city having work done on their homes might pay a company to take care of construction waste but might not be aware that the contractor lacks a permit to dump at a legitimate facility. Those hiring contractors should make sure that the contractors are disposing of waste properly, Arnold said.

“Some of the debris contains mail belonging to the homeowner. In that case, we’re not coming after the contractor, we’re coming after you,” Arnold said.

Arnold also noted that illegal dumping is truly a crime that does not pay. It’s far less expensive to pay the required fees to dump legally than get slapped with the hefty fines and charges for getting caught dumping illegally. Fines and other costs, such as fees for impounded vehicles, can easily add up to several thousand dollars.

Recently, a woman from Elizabeth was charged after authorities ran the identification number of her vehicle and tracked her down. She wound up paying a very hefty price, Arnold said.

“She got a $2,500 fine. The stuff she dumped would have only cost $150” to dump legally, Arnold said.

Dumping occurs throughout the city. but has been a particular problem in the South Ward because the area is easily accessible by Rt. 78 and other highways.

Along with the obvious safety and aesthetic issues surrounding dumping, Arnold noted that allowing garbage to pile up in hidden corners of the city presents another potential problem: terrorism. Debris left under a train trestle, for example,  could be loaded with explosives.

“This could potentially be a homeland security issue,” he said.