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The city of Los Angeles failed to deliver on its promise to crack down on illegal trash dumping. The situation had been going on for two years and in the face of complaints, Mayor Eric Garcetti promised a citywide crackdown on illegal trash dumping. However, the plan has not been fulfilled.
Garcetti promised to install a network of surveillance cameras and impose heavy fines on those caught illegally dumping garbage. But a journalistic work carried out by NBC4 confirmed that two years after the promise, Los Angeles has only 22 cameras to watch over 470 square miles. The media compared that number of cameras with cities like Philadelphia, which has 100 cameras to cover a smaller area.
Citizens are angry about illegal trash dumping
Given the situation, citizens and businessmen have expressed their concerns and have asked the authorities to take measures to prevent the problem from worsening. “I feel ashamed for my city. This is a city that is out of control with illegal dumping,” said Estela Lopez, who represents business owners east of downtown Los Angeles, one of the areas most affected by the dumps.
An audit conducted by city Controller Ron Galperin in March 2021 detailed that illegal trash dumping has skyrocketed at least 300 % between 2017 and 2020. NBC4 attempted to seek a response from the mayor and his promises but received no response.
