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HOUSTON – A Northeast Houston Pastor is hoping whoever is responsible for dumping trash near his church will be caught.
“It’s been understood that the northside of Houston and other areas of color are areas where you can dump your trash with little to no consequence,” says the M.D. Morrison, Sr. of New Faith Baptist Church Northeast. “There’s not a lot of traffic back here. There’s not a lot eyes on the situation, and they feel like they can get away.”
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Surveillance video from the back of the church shows the moment an unknown truck is seen unloading piles of garbage, old furniture, and clothes on Parkhurst Drive near Homewood Lane. The driver and license plates are not visible.
“It’s not nothing new,” says Chris Alexander who was passing through the neighborhood on his bicycle. “People are lazy. They don’t care no more…and there’s a sight where you can throw stuff legally not too far from here.”
Houston’s 311 website shows multiple reports of trash issues in the neighborhood. Morrison says he calls them frequently.
Constable Allen Rosen says it’s a growing problem and the community could help his environmental crimes unit to catch the polluters.
“It’s frustrating, and it’s a quality of life issue for these neighborhoods,” says Rosen. “We can’t solve these cases exclusively by law enforcement. We need the public’s help. They’re sick and tired of it, and so am I.”
Those caught dumping could face hefty fines and even a felony – those charges are determined by the weight of the waste and the type of material dumped in those areas.
If you have any information about this illegal dumping case or see it happening in the area, contact your constable’s office or Crimestoppers. Your call can remain anonymous.
