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The Miami-Dade County Department of Solid Waste Management’s (DSWM) Special Investigations Unit (SIU) recently caught a landscaping employee who allegedly dumped waste illegally in the area of SW 226 Terrace and SW 118 Avenue. Officers with the DSWM SIU worked with the Miami-Dade Police Department’s (MDPD) Illegal Dumping Unit, who arrested the worker.
A witness to the environmental offense told the SIU officers that he saw a male dumping a truck load of tree vegetation and trash debris from a white four-door business truck. The witness tried to speak to the suspect, but he drove away. When the officers of DSWM SIU Code Enforcement were notified of the illegal act, they found sustainable evidence in the trash that eventually led them to identify the company the alleged dumper worked for.
SIU officers contacted the MDPD, and the landscaping company’s employee was placed under arrest and transported to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center (TGK). The accused admitted he illegally dumped the debris because he had a personal job in the morning and needed free space in the business truck.
“We invite everyone to do the right thing and dispose of waste materials properly in the adequate locations,” said Michael Fernandez, DSWM Director. “This is a perfect example of how taking a short cut doesn’t pay off. It takes all of us to keep our communities and our environment clean.”
Illegal dumping can harm the environment and result in millions of dollars spent on enforcement and cleanup costs. The DSWM reminds residents that illegal dumping is a crime in Miami-Dade County, and anyone caught doing it is subject to a fine, vehicle seizure and even possible arrest and incarceration. The Board of County Commissioners in 2020 significantly increased fine amounts, as part of a ramped-up enforcement strategy to deter illegal dumping.
Miami-Dade residents who witness an illegal dumping incident in progress should call 911. Never confront someone who is dumping. Instead, try to get the vehicle license plate number or at least a description of the vehicle used to commit the crime.
If an instance of illegal dumping has already taken place, call 311.
Illegal dumping can also be reported using the MDC Solid Waste mobile application for Apple iPhone and Android smartphone users. It’s available for download free of charge in the iTunes and Google Play stores.
For more on illegal dumping, visit the DSWM website at miamidade.gov/illegaldumping.
