Stay-at-home order causes rise in illegal dumping

The stay-at-home order is meant to stop the spread of coronavirus in the Kansas City metro area, but it's having some unintended consequences as illegal dumping piles up.

NEWSILLEGAL DUMPINGINVESTIGATORS SAYSCENES LIKE THIS ARE ONTHE RISE IN K-C-MO.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER NICK STARLINGBREAKS DOWN THEUNUSUAL IMPACTCORONAVIRUS HAS HADON THESE CASES.ILLEGAL DUMPINGCONTINUES TO BE APROBLEM AS YOU CAN SEEAND ACCORDING TOILLEGAL DUMPINGINVESTIGATORS, IT'S ONLYGETTING WORSE BUT WITHTHIS RECENT STAY ATHOME ORDER-IT'SACTUALLY MAKING ITEASIER TO CATCH THECRIMINALS.Kathryn Persley, President,Heart ofthe City NeighborhoodAssociation.We have a lot of communitypride, and it's really like afamily, and so when peoplecome and dump in our yardwe take it personal.THIS ISN'T THE IMAGEKATHERYN PERSLEYWANTS FOR HERNEIGHRBORHOOD.I really want to tell people ifit'sokay to dump trash, go dumpit in front of your mother'shouse.FROM TIRES TO LAWNMOWERS TO LAUDNRYBASKETS-IT'S ALL HERE-WHERE IT SHOULDN'T BE.4:51:45Maize Middaugh, neighbor, livesinareaYou wouldn't do this in yourneighborhood you know, don'tcome up and actually drive upon our property near ourhouse and start unloadingbags of trash.ILLEGAL DUMPINGINVESTIGATOR ALANASHURST BELIEVES THEPROBLEMS CONTINUES TOPILE UP AS MORE PEOPLEARE ARE STAYING HOMECLEANING ORREMODELING.Alan Ashurst-KCMO IllegalDumpingInvestigatorProbably things that peoplehave looked at for 10 yearsgot tired of it finally went andthrew it out because they gotnothing to be doing.JUST LAST WEEK-THESEDUMPERS-CAUG ONCAMERA-THROWING EIGHTTRASH BAGS AT 37TH ANDOAKLEY-ADDING TO THISMESS.BUT THE STAY AT HOMEORDER-IS ACTUALLYHELPING CATCH THOSEWHO DO THIS.INSTEAD OF CLOSINGCASES IN DAYS-IT'S NOWHOURS.Alan Ashurst-KCMO IllegalDumpingInvestigatorGo knock on doors talk tothem like I used to but I'mfinding them at home, which isa dream.IT'S A FRUSTRATING ANDDISGUSTING PROBLEM-THIS NEIGHBORHOODWISHES WOULD GO AWAY.We just don't understand whypeople want to continue tocome to our neighborhood anduse it like its the dump.REPORTING IN KANSASCITYNICK STARL