MILWAUKEE — Residents that live on the border of both the Borchert Field and North Division neighborhoods are fighting back against persistent illegal dumping that continues despite warning signs and increased city enforcement efforts.
Meranda Davis, who lives in the Borchert Field neighborhood, said she's tired of seeing trash scattered throughout her community. The problem affects both her daily life and her food truck business.
"The animals are out of control and the smell is out of control," Davis said.
Cleanup efforts had been ongoing over the past week, yet signs of dumping remained all throughout the area.
Davis said the dumping comes from a combination of people from outside the neighborhood illegally disposing of items and residents moving out and leaving belongings behind. She's witnessed a wide variety of discarded materials.
"Furniture, food, clothing, mail and household items, everything from clean outs from people houses," Davis said.
Related Coverage: https://www.tmj4.com/news/milwaukee-county/milwaukee-to-post-images-of-illegal-dumpers-on-city-website
The City of Milwaukee launched a task force earlier this year to combat illegal dumping and increased fines of up to $5,000 for violators who are caught. The city also offers a $1,000 reward for people who report illegal dumping if it leads to a citation.
Despite these measures and numerous "no dumping" signs posted throughout the area, Davis said the problem persists. Other neighbors TMJ4 spoke with off camera emphasized the ongoing issue.
Related Coverage: https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/milwaukee-leaders-test-monitoring-program-to-tackle-illegal-dumping
"Yes, and they're not stopping. They dump when I go to sleep, and they can't wait till the lights go out. They're dumping," Davis said.
Davis hopes others will recognize how illegal dumping impacts the entire community, not just individual residents.
"I'm fighting for my neighborhood," Davis said.
She's working with Common Ground on the issue.
The battle against illegal dumping in these Milwaukee neighborhoods appears far from over as residents continue advocating for cleaner, safer streets.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
