Who's Leaving Bags Of Human Feces On East County Roads?

GRESHAM, OR — Someone has been leaving plastic bags filled with human feces along east Multnomah County roads for the past five years, and the county's code compiance office wants to know who is responsible, officials announced Thursday.

More than 500 bags have been collected since late 2018, according to the county. Sometimes the bags are dropped on a road every Sunday night for a stretch, and sometimes months can go by without any, the county said.

Aside from being distasteful, the bags present a potential health hazard, county officials said. Ruptured bags can send the waste into ditches along roads and carry disease into waterways where people spend time, they said.

"We want to understand why the person might be doing this," county code enforcement Officer Dave Thomson said. "We're not interested in punishment. We want to help them get the support they need."

Lisa Kinney lives in an area where bags have been found. "I think they are in a situation where maybe we could them help," she said in a statement provided by the county. "I don't imagine that someone who has a bathroom would do something like this."

The bags are usually from Walmart or Dollar Tree, the county said.

The county asked anyone who sees an act of illegal dumping not to stop the person involved but rather to get a license plate number and vehicle description and dial 911.