Garbage, crime linked at troubled Hughenden dumping site

An illegal dumpsite in Hughenden, St Andrew, that was once used by criminals to dispose of bodies is now at the centre of a growing public health and security concern, with Councillor Andrew Harris warning that urgent action is needed to curb persistent littering in the area.

Harris said the location – at the top of Hughenden Avenue –has long been exploited by criminals and illegal dumpers, despite repeated clean-up efforts.

He made the disclosure while addressing the annual Easter Monday football competition at the Pembroke Hall Community Centre.

“While we don’t have a challenge with overall crime, we are having a problem with illegal dumping. We have a particular area at the top of Hughenden Avenue that as we clean it today, by next week it is dumped up again,” Harris said.

The councillor said most of the perpetrators are believed to come from outside the community, using private vehicles to access the area and dump refuse. This includes stolen motor vehicles abandoned by criminals after their heists.

Scenes earlier this week highlighted the severity of the issue – piles of garbage, discarded mattresses, toilet bowls, and other debris strewn across the roadway and spilling into a nearby gully. Some of the bags teemed with flies, while the overpowering stench of rotting meat lingered heavily in the air.

“Some of the articles there are just because of a lack of civic pride. You see toilets, construction material, and in former days, about three or so years ago, we would have seen bodies dumped there,” Harris said. “People have also stolen cars and driven them there because the area is not properly lit.”

In response, Harris said discussions are now under way with residents on measures to restrict access to the area, including the possible closure of a section of roadway to vehicular traffic.

“The option is to block that area from one end so that we can curtail the type of traffic, so people can see who is doing this dumping,” he said, noting that the roadway was not originally intended to function as a main thoroughfare. “So residents, if you want to access the area, you would have to drive from Hughenden Avenue and not from Red Hills Boulevard.”

He said the ongoing dumping is undermining community safety while creating serious environmental and public health risks.

That location, however, is among several across Kingston that have repeatedly drawn concern from National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) Executive Director Audley Gordon.

Despite sustained clean-up efforts and public education campaigns, some areas, including sections of Waltham Park Road, continue to be plagued by illegal dumping.

“You travel all over the world, which country allows people to throw old mattresses, stoves, and fridges on the roadside, or to chop down a tree and leave it on the sidewalk?” Gordon asked.

He noted that many of the items being discarded are classified as bulky waste, which require special collection arrangements, as standard garbage trucks are not equipped to remove them. He urged residents to contact the NSWMA to schedule pickups, coordinating with neighbours, whenever possible.

Under Jamaica’s anti-litter laws, it is an offence to dispose of garbage in public spaces, on private property without permission, or in unauthorised areas. Fines range from $2,000 for minor breaches to as much as $1 million, along with possible imprisonment for more serious offences.

corey.robinson@gleanerjm.com