Washoe County Sheriff's Office cites fourth illegal dumper in two weeks thanks to citizen's report
Submitted by Kelsey Penrose on Fri, 07/26/2019 - 8:56am
Another illegal dumper has been caught and cited thanks to an alert resident who witnessed the dumping and reported it to the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office.
This is the fourth illegal dumper caught in the last two weeks thanks to the help of concerned citizens.
The latest incident began at approximately 5:00 p.m. on Monday, July 15, 2019. An area resident contacted Washoe County Sheriff's dispatch to report illegal dumping in progress in the area of Estates Road and East Patrician Drive in Golden Valley.
Deputies responded and made contact with a vehicle matching the description provided by the resident. The deputy also identified a pile of rock and dirt that the driver had just dumped in the area. Nevada state law prohibits the dumping of any solid waste, this includes rocks, dirt, and “green” waste.
Because this misdemeanor crime was not committed in front of the deputy, she was not able to cite the driver at this time, however she did interview him and gathered information to continue with the investigation.
The initial reporting party was re-contacted. The resident confirmed she had witnessed the driver dumping debris at the Golden Valley location on two occasions. The resident also agreed to sign a citizen’s citation against the dumper.
On July 24, deputies issued a citation to the illegal dumper on behalf of the reporting citizen. The dumper also removed all the debris he had dumped.
Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam has made the fight against illegal dumping a priority for his Office.
“The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office will do everything possible to stop illegal dumping in our region,” Sheriff Darin Balaam said. “If persons are caught illegally dumping, they will be cited or arrested, and prosecuted to the fullest extent possible.
“And I want to personally thank the residents who have been coming forward in recent weeks with information that has assisted us with catching a number of illegal dumpers in the act.”
Anyone who comes across illegal dumping in progress is reminded to put safety first by not engaging with the dumpers. Contact Sheriff’s Office dispatch at (775) 785-WCSO with information, such as the location, suspect description, vehicle description, license plate number, and a description of the material being dumped.
Persons who come across an existing illegal dump site are encouraged not to touch anything and to report the site through the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office app.
For information about alternatives to illegal dumping, visit the Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful website at ktmb.org.
