A vacant duplex on Milwaukee's North Side is under scrutiny after police and city inspectors discovered illegal dumping, break-ins, and dangerous conditions inside.
The home, located on the 2200 block of North 39th Street, has become a troubling hotspot where neighbors say illegal dumping is a constant frustration.
I first learned about this case after viewers tagged TMJ4 in a Milwaukee Police District Three Facebook post showing photos from inside the property after officers responded. I spoke with neighbors who say they are fed up and losing hope as the trash keeps piling up.
This pile of trash, broken furniture, and debris has become an all-too-familiar sight for people living near the vacant duplex.
Watch: Neighbors demand action as vacant Milwaukee duplex becomes hotspot for illegal dumping and break-ins
"It's a lot, especially when it's right behind where we live, and right behind where I park every day, especially with a little one. There's constantly people coming in and out of the alley," Angelica Junkert said.
Milwaukee Police and the Department of Neighborhood Services recently entered the home after community complaints, discovering illegal dumping, electrical tampering, signs of break-ins, and an abandoned dog inside.
Junkert said the cleanups never last long.
"It gets cleaned up, and then it's right back to where it was before," Junkert said.
For neighbor Yasmeen W., who moved here hoping for a safe place to live, the problem feels bigger than just one house.
"Washington Park is a really neglected area of Milwaukee, so I just thought this was the norm. Maybe less than a week people had dumped there again," Yasmeen said.
City crews have now boarded up the property, but many here say that is not enough.
"I think the boarding is a step in a good direction, but there needs to be a little more," Yasmeen said.
"I would love to see it either just torn down or something. I mean, it gets boarded up, and then, like I said, it just gets broken back into," Junkert said.
Milwaukee Police say reporting suspicious activity at vacant homes can help stop illegal dumping and fire risks, calling this case an example of community and city agencies working together.
I reached out to the property owner for comment, but was unable to make contact. The Department of Neighborhood Services says it is taking a deeper look into the case.
For neighbors, the message is simple: They want more than temporary fixes; they want lasting change.
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