Three people are facing Class B misdemeanor charges after they were caught illegally dumping tires on city property, according to the Alton Police Department.

Alton assistant police Chief Michael Martinez said the individuals were caught thanks to the aid of a police watch tower in the area. 

The tires were dumped behind the city’s development center, located across Sylvia Vela Park at 510 S. Alton Blvd.

Martinez said this was the third time those individuals dumped tires there since October 2023.

“We just ask the public not to do it, it looks bad,” Martinez said. “We are in a high flooded area. You can clog drains, you can clog streams or canals that lead to floodways."

Martinez said more than 16 hundred tires have been cleaned up after being illegally dumped.