Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell is trying to step up the efforts to clean the streets — literally.
The county is adding eight inmates to its crews from the Shelby County Corrections Center. These crews will be picking up trash in unincorporated areas of the county near Millington, Cordova, Woodstock, and Northaven, as well as the northeast and southeast areas of the county.
Last year, the county spent $350,000 for roadside trash, covering workers, equipment, fuel, and fees to dump in landfills.
“With more crews on the roadways, those costs are likely to rise this year,” Luttrell said in a media release. “However, we’ve budgeted for the additional resources. The appearance of Shelby County needs to improve in order to retain and attract new businesses and residents.”
According to Bill Gupton, director of the corrections center, 24 inmates will be out every weekday picking up trash. On Saturdays and Mondays, DUI offenders additionally undertake the task.
These inmate crews will also be watching for litter offenders. The Public Works division maintains hidden cameras throughout the unincorporated neighborhoods as well, which are monitored daily for littering and illegal dumping. According to a media release, culprits could be “arrested for illegal dumping and, in some cases, face felony charges for large amounts of trash and other debris.”
