I would like to comment on the issue of illegal dumping on Whidbey Island, and the response of the Sheriff’s Office to this recurrent problem.

I live near Deception Pass, and, over the years, people who are too lazy and/or too cheap to dispose of their garbage correctly have dumped everything from washers, dryers, car frames, sofas, chairs, tires, TVs, car seats, mattresses, yard debris, household garbage, and the list goes on.

I’ve tried to find something in these piles of garbage which would help identify the culprits, but until now I was never successful. On Christmas Eve another pile of garbage was left with receipts which clearly had names and an address. This culprit drove all the way from Freeland to dump her trash on my property, and had to pass right by Whidbey’s waste complex to do so.

I called the Sheriff’s Office, reported the dumping and told the deputy I had the receipts. I was told that someone would contact me on Friday, Dec. 30 and they would collect the receipts. No one did, so I called again yesterday. When I explained no one had contacted me, the response was, “Yes …?” Becoming angry, I said, “I thought the sheriff would like to pursue this as there must be some kind of fine involved for illegal dumping.” I was reluctantly told that someone would contact me. No one did.

The county will continue to foot the bill for illegal dumping, only now I realize the sheriff will do nothing about it. Maybe I’ll take a trip to Freeland and do my own dumping.

D. A. Salisbury

Oak Harbor