JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — An illegal dump site is filling up with tires, exacerbating blight in Mississippi’s capital city.
Residents tell WLBT-TV that they want officials to stop the problem. A vacant lot in the central part of Jackson has mounds of tires and bags of garbage. The lot used to be home to a Mississippi Valley Gas office.
“I come by here all the time because I’m going back to my old neighborhood,” said Randie Blackmon, a Jackson resident who worked the gas company site.
“As we moved on to other locations, I saw this property begin to go down,” Blackmon said. “From tires to trash, and that’s beginning to be everywhere.”
Those who frequent the area said they noticed tires accumulating the last few months.
Shameka Miller travels the area daily for work at the Jackson Medical Mall. She is calling on residents to be vigilant and report any dumping to police.
“Our city is going through a lot of things right now, and this is not a good image,” Miller said.
According to area business owners, illegal dumping is a constant problem. They said the city does its part, but when trash is removed, more appears.
“I just wish they would have thought and consideration, and when they have things like tires and things take them to a location they can get rid of,” Blackmon said.
Residents are calling for more police patrols to help lead to arrests of illegal dumpers.
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The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.
