City of Harlingen zooming in on illegal dumping

Oct. 17—HARLINGEN — Across parts of town, pickup trucks pull into open fields dumping loads of old tires, sofas and even refrigerators into drainage ditches.

For years, illegal dumping has been a problem here — as it is in many cities.

But it's getting bigger as a result of factors including the city's growing population, Assistant City Manager Josh Ramirez said Monday.

Meanwhile, the problem's widespread consequences include blocking drainage ditches designed to carry runoff into the Arroyo Colorado, he said.

"It's beginning to get bad," he said. "It's becoming more frequent."

Now, officials are monitoring surveillance cameras, trying to catch violators in the act, he said.

"We've been placing cameras everywhere to try to stop this problem," Ramirez said.

During the last year, he said, officials have cited about 50 violators, issuing fines starting at about $250.

Zooming in

As part of the city's campaign, police and code enforcement officers are patrolling dump sites, officials stated in a press release.

"Harlingen police and code compliance officers actively conduct patrol and covert patrol by utilizing a variety of surveillance systems in identified chronic dumping locations," the press release states. "These dumpsites are not only unsightly but also pose serious public health and environmental safety hazards to all of us. They contain everything from common household and yard trash to appliances, furniture and other large items, to hazardous chemicals and biological waste that can leach into the soil and water table."

About a year ago, officials started placing surveillance cameras along dumpsites, Ramirez said.

Now, they're increasing the numbers of cameras to more than 50 while boosting their resolution.

"We use several types of cameras," Ramirez said. "Our high-density cameras capture a lot of movement. You can zoom in and get faces, vehicle descriptions and license plate numbers."

Widespread problem

Within the city limits, officials have found many illegal dumping sites along the outskirts of town, Ramirez said.

"We've seen certain areas on the outskirts where people are dumping items — some of the isolated subdivisions," he said. "We've seen a variety of household items — old refrigerators, old sofas."

But the problem is widespread.

"The core of the city is not an exemption," Ramirez said, adding violators use alleys as dumping sites.

Building cases against violators

Now, officials are zooming in on the Lazy Palms subdivision off Primera Road, he said.

"Lazy Palms subdivision is an area facing repeated cases of illegal dumping," the press release states. "City cameras have captured several individuals in the act of illegal dumping in this area. We are now attempting to identify these individuals to cite them to court and pay a fine for the crimes committed."

Across an open field off Primera Road, violators have been turning drainage ditches into dumping sites, Ramirez said.

"We've had it under surveillance for a while," he said.

Officials are planning to take at least one case there to court, he said.

"It's a repeat offender," he said. "It will end up in court because it's a repeat offender. We have some pictures. We're trying to gather data to build a case. It's a truck. We have faces, a vehicle description, a partial license plate."

Blocking drainage ditches

Officials realized the magnitude of the city's illegal dumping problem while cleaning out drainage ditches, Ramirez said.

Illegal dumping was clogging ditches critical to the city's drainage plans, he said.

"It started with flooding," he said. "'Why is all this trash in the ditches? Some of these ditches don't flow properly.' The ditches are not for trash. They're for runoff water to drain."

'It's been a problem forever'

For years, City Commissioner Ford Kinsley, former president of Keep Harlingen Beautiful, has led campaigns aimed at cleaning up the city.

"I was very happy to see it," he said about the press release announcing the city's campaign aimed at catching violators.

"All it takes is one person, and people start following their lead. And you've got a problem pretty soon," he said. "You've got locations where someone starts dumping tires and then you've got more tires and then refrigerators. It's been a problem forever. It's not a localized problem. It's widespread."

Like Ramirez, Kinsley pointed to illegal dumping as blocking the flow of runoff.

"Obviously, people place stuff in ditches," he said. "A lot of people drive along irrigation ditches. They can block access to water flow."

Residents with information about illegal dumping can call the city's code enforcement department at (956) 216-5200.