'To Catch a Dumper': Oakland leader uses social media, offers $500 reward to catch illegal dumping

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Oakland City Council members have passed legislation that increases fines for people caught illegally dumping items on city streets. But some city leaders say penalties alone may not be enough to deter the behavior.

Councilmember Kevin Jenkins recently took an unconventional approach after becoming frustrated with illegal dumping in his district. Jenkins posted a video online and asked followers to help identify a person he believed was connected to dumped items, offering a $500 reward.

"Within one hour we had a name and an Instagram page for the person whose stuff this is," Jenkins said.

According to Jenkins, his followers quickly responded.

"As you can see below, we found her, and I kindly asked to come get her belongings. Unfortunately, she deleted her pages and blocked me. Either way, who cares? As you can see, I'm a man of my word and sent $500 to the person who identified her," he said.

In an interview, Jenkins said his goal was to draw attention to the issue.

"I just didn't want my neighbors to be victimized, and I wanted to get a handle of these things," he said.

MORE: Oakland doubling fines to $5,000, deploying drones as it cracks down on illegal dumping

When asked whether the strategy worked, Jenkins said, "I believe so."

The social media posts attracted significant attention, with more than 180,000 people viewing the two videos.

"I think it's time for something to be done. It is way out of hand," said Oakland resident Michael Mosley, who has lived in the city for 41 years.

Mosley said he would like to see even tougher consequences for offenders.

"Fine them and the vehicles too, and maybe even get their vehicles if they are dumping in the truck. They need to be confiscated," he said.

City data shows illegal dumping complaints in Oakland have increased by nearly 19% since 2022.

"Last year, our crews picked up almost 10,000 tons of illegal dumping across the city," said Kristin Hathaway, Oakland's assistant public works director.

MORE: East Bay dump truck pours debris onto customer's yard after dispute over unpaid bill: video

A local junk removal company said Oakland accounts for most of its business, but not all residents are willing to pay for disposal services.

"Here we have one mattress. We got more stuff inside, like cardboard. I don't know if you can see," said Sonny Jimenez of The Trash Buster.

Oakland Public Works offers a free service for residents to dispose of unwanted items. The city is also expanding its surveillance network as part of its enforcement efforts.

"We're adding an additional 50 cameras to our network of cameras," Hathaway said.

Jenkins has given his social media campaign a name: "To Catch a Dumper."

When asked what could be next after the videos, Jenkins replied with a one-word answer: "A billboard."

Jenkins said he hopes the campaign encourages people to think twice before illegally dumping in Oakland. Meanwhile, Oakland Public Works said it contacted U-Haul to obtain information about the woman featured in the initial video and to pursue further action.