RID Patrol: report dumped garbage | Metro
Source: https://www.oregonmetro.gov/waste-disposal-and-prevention/report-dumped-garbage
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:20
RID Patrol: report dumped garbage | Metro
Skip to main content
Report dumped garbage using the RID Reporter tool.
Report a dump
Report dumped garbage online using the RID Reporter.
You may also check the status of past reports and view real-time data about the RID Patrol on a data dashboard.
Report a dump
Check report status
View cleanup data
Explore interactive maps showing yearly RID Patrol cleanup data starting in 2022. Older cleanup map documents can be found at the bottom of this webpage.
View cleanup maps
Old appliances, mattresses, tires, broken furniture, and hazardous waste can be found dumped on our public lands. They are in our parks, streets and waterways, putting human health and wildlife at risk.
RID Patrol cleans up dumped or abandoned garbage sites from publicly owned spaces. It also investigates dumping incidents on either public or private property. Report dumped garbage
online
or at 503-234-3000.
Report rather than confront
If you see dumpers in the act, do not confront them. Note the vehicle's license plate number, make and model, items dumped and location. With this information, Metro's RID Patrol can investigate.
Prevent dumping
If you plan to offer furniture, tires, construction materials or other items to the community, do not leave them on street corners for “free.” Instead, keep items in your yard and list them on online reuse sites.
Hire only licensed businesses or haulers to take your garbage and bulky items. Get the person's name and license plate number, pay by check instead of cash, and get a receipt. If your garbage ends up dumped, you may be subject to fines.
Find recycling or disposal options near you
Resources
Answers and resources for common questions
Topic
Resource
Garbage on your property
Contact RID Patrol to request investigation of dumped garbage on your property. This includes parking lots, easements, or driveways or next to your dumpster or trash can. Please provide evidence with your request. Evidence can be surveillance videos, prescription medication labels or mail that identifies the dumper, or a vehicle description with license plate numbers.
Do not move the items to public property. You could be cited for dumping..
Abandoned vehicles
In Portland,
report abandoned vehicles online
through the Portland Bureau of Transportation.
In other areas, contact the local nuisance or code enforcement department in your city.
Dumped yard debris
Dispose of dumped yard debris in your yard debris disposal can or compost bin. You can also deliver it to a
local yard debris facility
, or call your hauler for removal of extra bags (fees may apply). Contact Metro’s RID Patrol if the volume of dumped yard debris is blocking access to an alley or a sidewalk.
Stockpiled items or trash
Stockpiling means a property is storing large numbers of items in their yard. This can lead to trash spilling into public areas like streets or sidewalks. Contact your local nuisance or code enforcement in your city to report concerns.
Homeless camps
Contact the property owner or call your local police non-emergency number.
In Portland:
report online
In Gresham:
report online
In other areas, contact the local code enforcement department in your city.
Liquid spills
In Portland: call The Bureau of Environmental Services’ spill hotline at 503-823-7180. Staff are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In other areas: Call 911 for emergency response. Otherwise contact your local nuisance or code enforcement department or the
Department of Environmental Quality
.
Dumped hazardous waste
Contact the nuisance or code enforcement department in your city, or
file a pollution complaint
with DEQ.
Needles and syringes (also known as sharps)
If you find a syringe or other sharps, don’t pick them up with your bare hands. With gloves on, use tongs to place sharps in a sealable, puncture-proof container. Use a heavy plastic container, not glass. To avoid accidentally sticking yourself, do not hold the container while placing the syringe inside. Tape the container shut and label it: “Sharps Container DO NOT Recycle.” Do not place sealed sharps in garbage or recycling containers.
Find sharps disposal options and locations
Removal of locked items
Some items are locked to signs, telephone poles, bike racks or bus stops. Contact the local nuisance or code enforcement department in your city to help remove locked items.
Tags warn dumpers and encourage proper disposal
You may have spotted a bright orange tag on an abandoned mattress at the end of your street or taped to an old washer in an alley. The tags:
Educate neighbors that abandoning bulky items on public property is illegal
Warn dumpers that they must dispose of items properly or risk prosecution
Encourage those who have left abandoned items to retrieve them or be fined.
If the tagged item has not been removed in approximately a week, Metro's crew will collect and dispose of it.
Post a sign to help prevent dumping
Weatherproof signs are available to help prevent dumping in problem areas.
For information about sizes and prices, call 503-797-1835 or email
[email protected]
.
About Metro's RID Patrol
Since 1993, Metro has worked with other local governments to clean up and investigate illegal dumping. Detectives assigned to Metro from local law enforcement agencies investigate dumping evidence. Warnings or citations may be issued to the owner of the trash along with the person who hauled and dumped the waste. Fines cover the cost of cleaning up and disposing of the waste and may include penalties of up to $500.
Cleanup data prior to 2022
View PDF maps of sites cleaned by RID Patrol between 2011 and 2021.
2021: Map of dump sites cleaned up by Metro
PDF
4.97 MB
June 1, 2022
2020: Map of dump sites cleaned up by Metro
PDF
4.88 MB
April 1, 2021
2019: Map of dump sites cleaned up by Metro
PDF
6.67 MB
Feb. 1, 2020
Expand to see all documents
Collapse documents
2018: Map of dump sites cleaned up by Metro
PDF
29.69 MB
July 1, 2019
2017: Map of dump sites cleaned up by Metro
PDF
24 MB
July 1, 2019
2016: Map of dump sites cleaned up by Metro
PDF
19.48 MB
July 1, 2019
2015: Map of dump sites cleaned up by Metro
PDF
8.56 MB
July 1, 2019
2014: Map of dump sites cleaned up by Metro
PDF
7.82 MB
Jan. 1, 2015
2013: Map of dump sites cleaned up by Metro
PDF
2.35 MB
Feb. 1, 2014
2012: Map of dump sites cleaned up by Metro
PDF
4.83 MB
Feb. 1, 2013
2011: Map of dump sites cleaned up by Metro
PDF
2.62 MB
Feb. 1, 2012
Skip to main content
Report dumped garbage using the RID Reporter tool.
Report a dump
Report dumped garbage online using the RID Reporter.
You may also check the status of past reports and view real-time data about the RID Patrol on a data dashboard.
Report a dump
Check report status
View cleanup data
Explore interactive maps showing yearly RID Patrol cleanup data starting in 2022. Older cleanup map documents can be found at the bottom of this webpage.
View cleanup maps
Old appliances, mattresses, tires, broken furniture, and hazardous waste can be found dumped on our public lands. They are in our parks, streets and waterways, putting human health and wildlife at risk.
RID Patrol cleans up dumped or abandoned garbage sites from publicly owned spaces. It also investigates dumping incidents on either public or private property. Report dumped garbage
online
or at 503-234-3000.
Report rather than confront
If you see dumpers in the act, do not confront them. Note the vehicle's license plate number, make and model, items dumped and location. With this information, Metro's RID Patrol can investigate.
Prevent dumping
If you plan to offer furniture, tires, construction materials or other items to the community, do not leave them on street corners for “free.” Instead, keep items in your yard and list them on online reuse sites.
Hire only licensed businesses or haulers to take your garbage and bulky items. Get the person's name and license plate number, pay by check instead of cash, and get a receipt. If your garbage ends up dumped, you may be subject to fines.
Find recycling or disposal options near you
Resources
Answers and resources for common questions
Topic
Resource
Garbage on your property
Contact RID Patrol to request investigation of dumped garbage on your property. This includes parking lots, easements, or driveways or next to your dumpster or trash can. Please provide evidence with your request. Evidence can be surveillance videos, prescription medication labels or mail that identifies the dumper, or a vehicle description with license plate numbers.
Do not move the items to public property. You could be cited for dumping..
Abandoned vehicles
In Portland,
report abandoned vehicles online
through the Portland Bureau of Transportation.
In other areas, contact the local nuisance or code enforcement department in your city.
Dumped yard debris
Dispose of dumped yard debris in your yard debris disposal can or compost bin. You can also deliver it to a
local yard debris facility
, or call your hauler for removal of extra bags (fees may apply). Contact Metro’s RID Patrol if the volume of dumped yard debris is blocking access to an alley or a sidewalk.
Stockpiled items or trash
Stockpiling means a property is storing large numbers of items in their yard. This can lead to trash spilling into public areas like streets or sidewalks. Contact your local nuisance or code enforcement in your city to report concerns.
Homeless camps
Contact the property owner or call your local police non-emergency number.
In Portland:
report online
In Gresham:
report online
In other areas, contact the local code enforcement department in your city.
Liquid spills
In Portland: call The Bureau of Environmental Services’ spill hotline at 503-823-7180. Staff are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In other areas: Call 911 for emergency response. Otherwise contact your local nuisance or code enforcement department or the
Department of Environmental Quality
.
Dumped hazardous waste
Contact the nuisance or code enforcement department in your city, or
file a pollution complaint
with DEQ.
Needles and syringes (also known as sharps)
If you find a syringe or other sharps, don’t pick them up with your bare hands. With gloves on, use tongs to place sharps in a sealable, puncture-proof container. Use a heavy plastic container, not glass. To avoid accidentally sticking yourself, do not hold the container while placing the syringe inside. Tape the container shut and label it: “Sharps Container DO NOT Recycle.” Do not place sealed sharps in garbage or recycling containers.
Find sharps disposal options and locations
Removal of locked items
Some items are locked to signs, telephone poles, bike racks or bus stops. Contact the local nuisance or code enforcement department in your city to help remove locked items.
Tags warn dumpers and encourage proper disposal
You may have spotted a bright orange tag on an abandoned mattress at the end of your street or taped to an old washer in an alley. The tags:
Educate neighbors that abandoning bulky items on public property is illegal
Warn dumpers that they must dispose of items properly or risk prosecution
Encourage those who have left abandoned items to retrieve them or be fined.
If the tagged item has not been removed in approximately a week, Metro's crew will collect and dispose of it.
Post a sign to help prevent dumping
Weatherproof signs are available to help prevent dumping in problem areas.
For information about sizes and prices, call 503-797-1835 or email
[email protected]
.
About Metro's RID Patrol
Since 1993, Metro has worked with other local governments to clean up and investigate illegal dumping. Detectives assigned to Metro from local law enforcement agencies investigate dumping evidence. Warnings or citations may be issued to the owner of the trash along with the person who hauled and dumped the waste. Fines cover the cost of cleaning up and disposing of the waste and may include penalties of up to $500.
Cleanup data prior to 2022
View PDF maps of sites cleaned by RID Patrol between 2011 and 2021.
2021: Map of dump sites cleaned up by Metro
4.97 MB
June 1, 2022
2020: Map of dump sites cleaned up by Metro
4.88 MB
April 1, 2021
2019: Map of dump sites cleaned up by Metro
6.67 MB
Feb. 1, 2020
Expand to see all documents
Collapse documents
2018: Map of dump sites cleaned up by Metro
29.69 MB
July 1, 2019
2017: Map of dump sites cleaned up by Metro
24 MB
July 1, 2019
2016: Map of dump sites cleaned up by Metro
19.48 MB
July 1, 2019
2015: Map of dump sites cleaned up by Metro
8.56 MB
July 1, 2019
2014: Map of dump sites cleaned up by Metro
7.82 MB
Jan. 1, 2015
2013: Map of dump sites cleaned up by Metro
2.35 MB
Feb. 1, 2014
2012: Map of dump sites cleaned up by Metro
4.83 MB
Feb. 1, 2013
2011: Map of dump sites cleaned up by Metro
2.62 MB
Feb. 1, 2012