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Council members say specialized illegal‑dumping unit should be reinstated; resolution planned
Summary
Several council members urged reinstating the specialized Jackson Police Department illegal‑dumping unit, citing prior success with camera stings and vehicle seizures; a council member said he will bring a resolution and the administration said it will coordinate with the new police chief. Reasons for the unit's disbanding were not clarified.
A committee member raised the disbanding of the Jackson Police Department illegal‑dumping unit as a pressing public‑works and code‑enforcement problem and said the council will pursue a resolution to reinstate the unit.
"This is something that we really need to address," the committee member said, adding the unit had used cameras and enforcement tools that yielded results under the previous chief. "I'm gonna bring forward a resolution and hopefully the new chief and administration will reinstate this unit."
Other council members called for a review of fines and enforcement options, including vehicle seizure, and asked the administration why the unit had been disbanded. CAO Peter Tillerson (S7) and other members said they would raise the issue with the new police chief and explore bringing the unit back; Tillerson noted legal and personnel factors might have played a role in the unit's prior disbanding.
Council members and staff discussed the need to coordinate JPD, code enforcement and Solid Waste for continued cleanup in West and South Jackson and to reestablish clear reporting and follow‑up so that risk management and insurance claims can be pursued when public property is damaged.
No formal vote occurred during the meeting; members asked staff to prepare a resolution and to report back on any administrative obstacles to reinstatement.
