Security cameras credited for illegal dumping charges at The Post

Jason Thunberg is a program manager at the Canadian Mental Health Association, who operate The Post as a non-profit.

He said the illegal dumping is an eye-sore to say the least.

“I’m proud of the place I work, I’m proud of the place where I live,” said Thunberg. “And, I don’t like it when I have garbage stuck in my front yard. I’m not proud of the fact that this happens here, we try to do everything we can to eliminate it.”

But, some welcome news for The Post on Wednesday after Medicine Hat Police laid charges against two suspects accused of illegally dumping household goods twice in the last two weeks.

Newly upgraded security cameras at the thrift store are being credited for breaking open the case, which were donated by a pair of local organizations.

Municipal Enforcement supervisor Heather Trail said the pictures captured were vital to identifying the suspects.

“It captured the license plate of the vehicle that was used during the offence,” said Trail. “We were able to compare with the images to the person we were dealing with, and we were able to issue the tickets to the offenders.”

Both suspects are facing fines of $115 each, and have been charged under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.

These charges are rare, since police usually have little information or witnesses to go on when investigating illegal dumping.

Lori Foster runs the Salvation Army Thrift Store, and said they see many of the same issues that plague The Post.

“We get a lot of people that donate things with good intentions, and then we have people that rifle through it afterwards, making it then garbage.”

The main problem lies in either well-meaning donors dropping off unusable goods, or people stealing these items outdoors and leaving a mess.

Thunberg added when everyone is donating properly, the cost savings for the charities are massive.

“Instead of having individuals out front here for four or five hours a day working, they’re in the back,” he said. “And, they’re actually helping us create money versus just cleaning up a mess.”

While the fines are welcome news for The Post, Trail said unlawful dumping continues to be an issue across Medicine Hat.

“It seems to be an issue where people are just maybe taking the easy way out and just leaving stuff behind, feeling anonymous and like they can do so,” she said. “But, they need to understand it’s a problem for the entire community, and we all need to be able to do our part and do the right thing.”

Those unsure if their donations will be accepted are encouraged to phone ahead of time, and to drop off items during store hours.

by Scott Roblin

Security cameras credited for illegal dumping charges at The Post

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