MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Illegal dumping woes in the Walker Homes community has neighbors frustrated.
A community advocate is working to clean up blight and dumped furniture where she grew up.
“If you look at it you see it, look at all the blight,” said resident Mary Murphy. “This community is an eyesore...the people have given up because the elected officials have given up on the community because they have forgotten to remember Walker Homes.”
Murphy first moved to the community about 30 years ago. Now, she’s fed up with the state the area has fallen into.
“I was in tears because we were going to have an event on June 25th, a block party and I was like I can’t have a block party because this is what it looked like,” Murphy said.
She said she was worried about her grandson playing outside because of the glass on the street.
Murphy said she has had support from Pastor Jeffrey Salter and Councilman Edmund Ford Sr.
City of Memphis Public Works Director Robert Knecht said reports of illegal dumping have spiked dramatically since the pandemic.
“It's gone up like 300- 400% overall, which is pretty huge,” said Knecht. "It started with COVID. People were stuck at home. It looks like they felt like they just had too much stuff they wanted to get rid of.”
Knecht believes it’s the highest jump the city has seen.
Knecht explained what the process is once a neighbor dials 311 to report illegal dumping.
“Is it on city property? Or is it along the edge of the road, where the city can clean it up?” questioned Knecht. “Then that brings in the city of Memphis. We have a lot of covert cameras out in the field, where we have recurring illegal dumping happening. We're prosecuting people if we can identify the person responsible.”
Community advocates like Will Richardson are working to bring the neighborhood back to life.
“Blight and substandard housing cause health issues, lung cancer, asthma, psychological and social issues especially in our children,” said Richardson. “If they are our future then they cannot be in an environment that looks like this.”
If you see illegal dumping in your area, you’re asked to call the city at 311.