Tire Dumping Plagues Philly Home

PHILADELPHIA - Tire after tire is dumped behind a Philadelphia home and some of the culprits are caught on video.

Slideshow: Tire Dumpers Caught On Tape

It's become a popular dumping ground in Fishtown. Neighbors have gotten so frustrated that they went ahead and installed surveillance cameras. They got criminals on tape, but that may not be enough for Philadelphia police, reported Fox 29's John Atwater.

Alleys tend to be dark and dingy. But in Fishtown, neighbors have tried to make the pass-through appealing.

“Our neighbor Chris has been working on these gardens for the past couple years,” says resident Juliette Cook.

Right next to the newly planted trees looms a mound of Michelins, Dunlaps, and Continentals.

The culprit was captured on video Tuesday afternoon. With little regard, he quickly unloads tire after tire. In less than a minute, he's left about two dozen in his wake.

“Just throws them out one after the other, he's gone in a minute and a half," says neighbor Richard Harrod.

"Now that we're catching them, we're hoping we can use that as evidence," says Cook.

But that evidence, they say, hasn't held much weight in the police department.

They say officers pledged to keep their eye out for the car, and police say that's about all they can do for a relatively low-profile crime.

That explanation isn't flying in Fishtown.

“If they just ignore things like this, it's just going to happen again,” believes Harrod.

So just days after neighbors hauled out 31 tires, they've got 23 more on their hands.

“It’s like giving them a free pass, it's like saying it's okay,” says Cook.

Even if police don't give the crime priority, people who live here will keep the cameras rolling.