A man driving a dump truck pulled into a hidden spot near Tolleston Park, attempting to unload large trees and debris in a city he didn’t live in. This time, a vigilant resident’s call brought officers to the scene. They caught the suspect from Hebron, Indiana, in the act, ordered him to reload all the debris, towed his truck, and issued citations, according to Gary Deputy Police Chief Brian Evans.
This scene highlights the ongoing problem the city of Gary faces with illegal dumping, often perpetrated by people outside the city.
On Tuesday, the Melton administration announced a partnership between Gary, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, and the Lake County prosecutor and sheriff’s departments to reinforce current efforts in cleaning up dumping sites and prosecuting offenders.
Since the beginning of the year, the city of Gary has charged at least 180 people and businesses with illegally dumping garbage, rubbish, or trash within city limits, according to a Capital B analysis of court records.
Well before Gary’s 2023 mayoral primary election, then-Sen. Eddie Melton set his sights on finding ways to curb illegal dumping in the city. To highlight the enormity of the issue, a plan released through his campaign last April detailed several policy updates to address it through environmental justice and public safety initiatives, among others.
“Illegal dumping is an extreme issue in this community,” Melton stated during his State of the City address just over a month ago, when he announced a new anti-dumping fund and campaign.
Read More: Gary Residents Fill Auditorium as Melton Delivers First State of the City Address
Residents have joined with the administration in weekend cleanup efforts at various sites around the city to address the illegal dumping.
“It’s not even Gary people. They’re coming from outside the city to dump their trash here,” said Dwane Williams Jr., a 41-year-old resident who tries to bring his family to citywide cleanups.
The Gary Common Council recently approved a grant of more than $500,000 from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management for cleanup and securitization of two city-owned properties which have devolved into dumping sites at 1100 N. Clark Road and 890 Chase St. Those sites will be equipped with fencing and security cameras to prevent future dumping.
The IDEM had initially issued the city citations for the sites during the mayoral transition, but a visit to Gary by Commissioner Brian Rockensuess prompted a change in course.
“I visited those sites and I visited other areas in Gary that had open dumps, and it quickly dawned on me that the issue going on was much bigger than those two properties,” Rockensuess said.
“What Gary needed was much more than a fine to get itself going, it needed help.”
Willie Brooks, 38, of the Ambridge-Mann neighborhood expressed astonishment at the frequency of the dumping that takes place in his community and the apparent stealth with which the perpetrators operate.
“I never see them,” Brooks told Capital B Gary. “I don’t ever see them actually dumping, but there’s always new stuff there. Bags, furniture, everything.”
For Gary city officials, cleaning up current dumping sites is half the problem. The other half involves enforcement of dumping regulations and legal action against would-be dumpers to prevent future dumping.
Another key cog in the initiative is the use of resources from the county level.
“We’re going to deploy cameras that will identify vehicles, supply cameras that will be monitored periodically by our real-time operators, our aviation units and our jail workforce. Our inmates are on the work-release program,” Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez announced.
The role of residents will be key in the administration’s plan. The new “See Something, Say Something” initiative aims to duplicate the events at Tolleston. Residents are encouraged to use the city’s 311 system by calling (219) 881-1311. Online service requests can be made on the city’s website through Constituent Services.
