Don't Dump on L.A.!

LOS ANGELES (November 20, 2008) - City of Los Angeles public officials today introduced “Don't Dump on LA,” a new prevention campaign targeting South Los Angeles and Wilmington, stressing the City’s $1,000 reward for citizens who report information that leads to the arrest and conviction of illegal dumping violators.

Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo joined Council members Janice Hahn, Council District 15, and Jan Perry, Council District 9, and other public officials to announce the campaign in a news conference at the intersection of Lanzit Avenue and 112th Street, one of the most heavily impacted thoroughfares in South Los Angeles.

“Illegal dumping continues to plague and degrade quality of life in many of our neighborhoods, including South Los Angeles,” said City Attorney Delgadillo. “Together with our Department of Public Works partners, we will continue to target some of the worst areas in our city for illegal dumping and increase awareness of this serious problem so that all of our residents can live in a safe and clean environment.”

In addition to Department of Public Works Board members and the Bureaus of Street Services and Sanitation, representatives of the Los Angeles Police Department, EnvironmentLA (the Environmental Affairs Department), and the California Integrated Waste Management Board joined the elected officials at today’s news conference. The campaign will target severely impacted sections of Council Districts 8, 9, and 15 in South Los Angeles and Wilmington.

"For years, I have worked closely with the community to find ways to keep people from dumping in our neighborhoods. We have installed cameras in alleyways, we have changed the law so that we can impound the cars of people who dump, but the missing piece has been surveillance and enforcement of our laws--which is why today’s announcement is so welcomed," said Councilwoman Janice Hahn. "With the grant we have
received for the “Don’t Dump on LA” campaign, we will soon see increased surveillance and enforcement. We need to make some arrests and set some examples."

EnvironmentLA was awarded a $500,000 California Integrated Waste Management Board grant on behalf of the City to combat illegal dumping and fund the campaign. Cleanup of chronic, illegal dumping sites; additional surveillance of known illegal dumping problem areas; and community outreach for prevention and proactive approaches are components. It will serve as a pilot for the development of an effective incentive and enforcement strategy citywide.

Radio ads on selected stations, in both English and Spanish language, will begin airing as early as late December and early January. Associated websites and radio talk shows will feature the campaign, as well. In-theater ads on illegal dumping prevention also will start to appear at Magic Johnson Theaters in the Crenshaw district during the same time period.

Illegal dumping cleanup efforts cost the City about $12 million annually. “By conducting this campaign, we hope to encourage citizens to report illegal dumping when they see it occurring to help keep our city clean and beautiful and we remind them to call the city’s non-emergency hotline 3-1-1, to report violators,” said Board of Public Works President Cynthia M. Ruiz. “All calls are strictly
confidential,” she added, “and convicted offenders can receive both misdemeanor and felony sentences.”

Citizens also can report illegal dumping online at the following website: http://www.lacity.org/boss/StreetUseInspection/form.htm. The “Don't Dump on LA,” campaign will support efforts of the South Los Angeles Illegal Dumping Prevention Collaborative which was founded by the City Attorney's Office in 2005 to develop prevention strategies to combat the problem and prioritize impacted locations. Members include the Public Works Bureau of Street Services, the Neighborhood
Prosecutor Program, LAPD South Los Angeles Area Senior Lead Officers, the Departments of Building and Safety, Transportation, Housing, and Water and Power.

For more information, contact Richard E. Lee, Public Information Officer of the Department of Public Works Bureau of Sanitation Public Affairs Office at (213) 978-0324, or Frank Mateljan, Press Deputy, Office of the City Attorney at (213) 978-8340.