Police Crack Down On Illegal Dumping In Middleboro
MIDDLEBORO (CBS) - For as long as Matt Grady can remember, people have trashed a remote spot on Walnut Street in Middleboro.
"It's not uncommon to drive by and see a TV or a dishwasher or several TVs or a couch just horrific trash," said Grady. "Look where we are in the middle of the woods, people are slobs."
The police with help from the Department of Environmental Protection decided enough was enough. They set up surveillance cameras and caught people in the act. Officers cited four people with illegally dumping trash and household debris between the beginning of March and the end of the April.
Kent Ingraham, 51, Shane Pettey, 21, Franics Shannon, 50, and Timothy Murphy, 56, all had to clean-up their mess. They will also face a fine. Depending on the town, offenders can face up to a $1,000 fine.
The state says it's hard to quantify the severity of illegal dumping across the commonwealth. As part of a ten-year candid camera program, the D.E.P temporarily sets up cameras for towns and cities trying to catch offenders.
"Word gets out that this is not acceptable to do here or anywhere else," said Grady.
After police posted the offenders images on Facebook, user's comments immediately cheered the illegal dumping crackdown.
Cleaning up with public approval, so people think before illegally dumping.