Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law on Sunday that will give local governments the ability to slap boots on vehicles that have multiple unpaid tickets for illegal dumping.
The state currently permits law enforcement and parking officers to immobilize vehicles that have been issued multiple delinquent parking tickets and other fines. Authored by State Senator Jesse Arreguín, the law adds unpaid illegal dumping tickets as one of the things that can lead to a boot.
“Today is a victory for our neighbors who have lived with the impacts of illegal dumping for too long,” Arreguín said in a press release. “Now cities have another tool to hold those who trash our communities accountable.”
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee supported Arreguín’s legislation when it was first introduced earlier this year.
“SB 1218 gives us a crucial tool to combat illegal dumping in Oakland by applying the same penalty used for unpaid parking tickets, a vehicle boot, to unpaid dumping fines,” Lee told The Oaklandside in an emailed statement. “I want to thank Senator Arreguín and the Governor for making this law a reality, and all the community members who have been engaged in this effort. The message is clear: if you trash our town, you will be held accountable.”
A previous version of Arreguín’s bill would have blocked people from being able to renew their vehicle registration if they had outstanding fines for illegal dumping, but this was rejected by the legislature.
Illegal dumping has plagued Oakland neighborhoods for years, leaving large piles of garbage, debris, and sometimes hazardous materials on sidewalks, in gutters, and on vacant lots.
A report published in April by the City Auditor identified numerous problems that have hindered Oakland’s efforts to keep millions of pounds of trash off the street. Despite issuing thousands of citations, Oakland is collecting only a fraction of the money owed by lawbreakers.
The auditor recommended that Oakland reevaluate its contract with Waste Management, the city’s curbside trash hauler, and to make more use of existing options for disposing of bulky waste.
Lee and other Oakland officials have introduced several initiatives to try to get dumping under control.
Earlier this year, the city council approved an ordinance from Lee and Councilmember Zac Unger that increased fines for illegal dumping violations. The council also agreed to pay for a pilot program that uses drones to spot trash piles. And in June, Lee announced that Michael Moritz’s Crankstart Foundation would give the city $9.2 million over the next three years to pay for neighborhood cleanups and enforcement.
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