Illegal Dumping in Los Angeles Surges, but Just 81 Fines Issued

Instead of expanding enforcement citywide, Kang said the city is currently concentrating on quickly removing trash from locations where illegal dumping repeatedly occurs.

Illegal dumping in Los Angeles generated more than 383,000 cleanup requests last year, yet the city issued just 81 citations — roughly one for every 4,700 reports.

The stark gap is raising questions about enforcement as illegal dumping complaints soar across the city while the number of citations continues to fall.

According to MyLA311 data, Los Angeles received 383,551 requests for illegal dumping cleanup last year, an increase of approximately 236% from the previous year.

The problem shows little sign of slowing down. Spectrum News reported that another 234,900 requests had already been filed through August this year, putting the city on pace to potentially set another record.

Enforcement, however, has moved in the opposite direction.

The city issued 102 citations for illegal dumping in 2024, but that number fell to just 81 last year. So far this year, only 29 citations have been issued.

Koreatown Logged More Than 12,000 Dumping Reports

The growing problem is visible across Los Angeles, including Koreatown.

MyLA311 data show that 12,640 illegal dumping reports were filed in Koreatown between April and December last year.

Discarded furniture, mattresses, household items and bags of trash can routinely be found piled along streets and next to dumpsters throughout the neighborhood.

At one apartment building on South Oxford Avenue, bulky items and other illegally dumped trash were piled next to a garbage container.

Resident Maria Valdez, 38, said people often leave their trash on the ground even when a dumpster is just steps away.

“People just throw things on the ground and leave, even though the dumpster is right there,” Valdez said. “Even when we ask the apartment management to take care of it quickly, in hot weather like this, it only takes a day before it starts to smell and attracts bugs.”

Once a pile forms, she said, the problem tends to get worse.

“When trash is already piled up, people passing by start throwing away their drink cups, dog waste and other garbage, and it just keeps getting worse,” Valdez said.

Why Are So Few Citations Being Issued?

Los Angeles officials say one of the biggest obstacles to enforcing illegal dumping in Los Angeles is proving who actually dumped the waste.

Steve Kang, president of the Los Angeles Board of Public Works, said enforcement generally requires clear evidence, such as catching someone in the act.

“To enforce illegal dumping laws, you need clear evidence, such as directly witnessing someone dumping trash, but we don’t have enough enforcement personnel,” Kang told the Korea Daily on Aug. 31.

Police officers can also issue citations if they witness illegal dumping while on patrol, Kang said, but the Los Angeles Police Department does not have enough personnel to dedicate officers specifically to the problem.

“For now, rather than expanding enforcement across the entire city, we’re focusing on quickly collecting and removing trash from illegal dumping hot spots,” Kang said.

He added that the city is working to improve response times in Koreatown and increase staffing dedicated to resolving complaints submitted through MyLA311.

A new effort targeting Koreatown is also expected to begin this month.

The Koreatown Youth and Community Center, or KYCC, and the office of Los Angeles City Councilmember Heather Hutt, who represents District10, plan to launch a cleanup team dedicated to removing illegally dumped trash in the neighborhood.