Trenton officials going after illegal dumpers, 2 arrested

TRENTON, N.J. (WPVI) -- Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora simply says, "We are serious about cleaning up our capital city."

The mayor, along with other city leaders, held a news conference on Wednesday to discuss the early results of a plan to hit illegal dumpers where it hurts.

Namely, the pocketbook.

Illegal dumping has been a problem in Trenton for years, but catching the people responsible has proven difficult.

City officials announced that, with the help of strategically located cameras, local police were recently able to quickly identify and arrest two men for allegedly throwing loads of trash into a wooded area off Oxford Street.

But under Trenton's new initiative, city officials have also confiscated the suspects' vehicles.

Councilman George Muschal says, "When you illegally dump, we're going to own your vehicle. It's going to be part of our fleet."

City leaders say the problem of illegal dumping goes far beyond the fact that it is unsightly and disgusting.

Improper disposal of spoiled food, mattresses, even medical supplies creates an unhealthy environment that attracts rodents and insects.

Local activist and Trenton resident, Octavia Sutphen, says she feels like this new initiative is moving this lingering issue in the right direction.

She says, "No longer will we tolerate perpetrators coming to our city to just purposely prey on our urban communities. It's going to stop, and it's stopping now."

The suspects have been identified as 61-year-old William Smith and 50-year-old Jeffrey Perry. They have been formally charged with trespassing and illegal dumping.

More importantly, they will not be getting their vehicles back.