Milwaukee, WI

South side residents urge railroad company to clean up illegal dumping

Published

1 month ago

December 1, 2025

Press Room

South side residents urge railroad company to clean up illegal dumping

As garbage continues to pile up on the train tracks behind their homes, neighbors on South 15th Place are urging the city and railroad company, Union Pacific, to address the illegal dumping.

Rats, cockroaches and piles of trash are frequent sights for some neighbors living near Pulaski Park on South 15th Place on Milwaukee’s south side.

The alley behind their homes and the train tracks beside the alley have become an illegal dumping ground for unwanted furniture, car tires, shopping carts, gallons of motor oil and large bags of trash.

Anna Zarnowski, who has been living on the street for 10 years, said this has been an issue since she moved in, but it’s ramped up in recent years.

She said she filed more than 10 complaints through the City of Milwaukee’s Click4Action app and said she’s called the office of her local alderman, 12^th District Ald. Jose Perez, about the issue, on several occasions.

“I love the south side. You want to see it succeed and be great, and at least just be comfortable and clean,” Zarnowski said.

“It’s not too much to ask for.”

Each time she calls or files a complaint, the garbage in the alley behind her home is removed. However, the train tracks are on private property owned by the railroad company, Union Pacific.

“The city says it’s not their responsibility — then it just sits,” Zarnowski said.

In several of Zarnowski’s complaints, she’s included photos of garbage piling up on the ground by the train tracks. Some of the garbage has been on the ground near the tracks for at least four years, she said.

“It’s a concern. You don’t want to have vermin around,” Zarnowski said.

Illegal dumping is impacting several neighbors

Christina Ornelas, 41, has owned a home on South 15th Place for 10 years.

When she moved in, she noticed garbage piling up on the street and along the train tracks.

“It’s like they clean, and then the next day there’s already a lot of garbage,” Ornelas said, in Spanish, adding that the waste on the train tracks remains even if the waste on the streets is removed, leading to pest issues.

Ornelas has not yet called the city about the illegal dumping near her home, but said she wishes the city and the owners of the train tracks could come together to find a solution to prevent illegal dumping, for example, by adding cameras to the road to discourage the activity.

The city’s Department of Neighborhood Services processes some illegal dumping complaints, but most dumping complaints are addressed through a collaboration of other departments, including the Department of Public Works, according to Jeremy McGovern, the Neighborhood Services’ marketing and communications officer.

Neighborhood Services can help mitigate the problem by implementing some preventative measures to reduce illegal dumping, like installing cameras and traffic control measures to prevent access to the area, sending violation orders, or teaching neighbors how to report the issue to the city, McGovern said.

While Neighborhood Services is willing to provide this support, the illegal dumping taking place on the tracks behind Ornelas and Zarnowski’s homes is primarily the responsibility of Union Pacific.

Steps taken so far by Neighborhood Services

On Nov. 24, the department sent Union Pacific a violation order to remove the waste from its property behind Zarnowski’s home on South 15th Place by Dec. 3, 2025.

The railroad company can still file an appeal, which must be filed within 20 days, according to the violation order obtained by the Journal Sentinel.

Failure to comply with the order or file an appeal could result in prosecution or fines ranging from $150 to $10,000, according to the violation order report.

A representative from Union Pacific said the company plans to remove the waste on the train tracks following the new violation order sent by Neighborhood Services.

“Despite several clean-ups over the years, and another scheduled soon, illegal dumping at this site is a challenging issue that often returns just as quickly as we address it,” Union Pacific communications manager Robynn Tysver said in an emailed statement to the Journal Sentinel.

The last violation order sent to Union Pacific for the train tracks behind Zarnowski’s home was sent in April 2021.

This resulted in Neighborhood Services hiring its own contractor to clean the train tracks and billing the private company $835.66 for the clean-up, which it paid in full, according to McGovern.

A year later, on April 24, 2022, the train tracks were once again filled with garbage, and Zarnowski said she filed a new complaint.

Union Pacific declined to comment on why the previous violation order placed on the company to remove waste on the tracks resulted in an invoice from Neighborhood Services for the waste removal.

Elected officials respond to illegal dumping on railroad

Ald. Perez said Union Pacific is “historically difficult to work with … they are not the most responsive to any concerns.”

Perez said while his office has no record of Zarnowski’s calls, if the dumping on the train tracks near South 15th Place continues to be a nuisance for neighbors, his office is willing to collaborate with Neighborhood Services on a proactive solution to prevent the illegal dumping.

He also said his office would work with the City Attorney’s office to hold Union Pacific legally accountable to address the issue, if needed.

According to McGovern, Neighborhood Services is also willing to work with private property owners, like Union Pacific, regardless of the type of property, to discuss solutions for abatement and compliance.

However, Perez said he believes these kinds of issues would be better addressed if city departments worked more collaboratively on lasting solutions.

If one department arrives to conduct an illegal dumping clean-up, they could sweep the area to look for other possible concerns to refer to other departments, which would help address issues before they become a nuisance to neighbors, Perez said. This would ensure neighbors don’t need to file several complaints before an issue is escalated.

“These systems aren’t talking to one another … the accountability even between interdepartmental referrals is loose,” Perez said. “They’ve got to fix the system beyond the moment and the complaint in real time.”

Zarnowski said she hopes the waste is removed before heavy snow falls and freezes the garbage to the ground for another season.

“They [Union Pacific] should take some kind of action on it,” Zarnowski said. “If it’s their property, they should have some responsibility in keeping things tidy or at least trying to prevent it from happening.”

How to file a complaint for illegal dumping on private property

Neighbors impacted by illegal dumping on private property near their home can submit a complaint through the Click4Action App or by calling Neighborhood Services at 414-286-2268. For non-English speakers, bilingual staff members are available to assist, McGovern said.

If the dumping is on private property, they should make a note on the app or inform the operator, McGovern said. If a neighbor is unsure of whether the waste is located on private or city-owned property, Neighborhood Services can help verify the property owner and file the complaint appropriately.

Once the complaint is submitted, the city can schedule an inspection to verify it and then issue a violation order to the owner of the private property to remove the waste if needed, McGovern said.

If the waste is not removed after a given period, Neighborhood Services can hire a contractor to remove the waste and send a bill to the property owner, McGovern said.

If a resident files a complaint about illegal dumping and it’s on public or city-owned property, Neighborhood Services can escalate the complaint to another department, such as the Department of Public Works, McGovern said.

Alyssa N. Salcedo covers Layton Boulevard West for the Journal Sentinel’s Neighborhood Dispatch. Reach her at asalcedo@gannett.com. As part of the newsroom, all Alyssa’s work and coverage decisions are overseen solely by Journal Sentinel editors.

Support for this effort comes from the Zilber Family Foundation, Journal Foundation, Bader Philanthropies, Northwestern Mutual Foundation, Greater Milwaukee Foundation and individual contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project. The project is administered by Local Media Foundation, tax ID #36‐4427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association. 

Learn more about our community-funded journalism and how to make a tax-deductible gift at jsonline.com/support. Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation with “JS Community Journalism” in the memo, then mailed to: Local Media Foundation, P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689.

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee police chase, 15-year-old driver arrested

Published

7 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Milwaukee police chase, 15-year-old driver arrested

article

Milwaukee Police Department (MPD)

MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee police arrested a 15-year-old boy after a pursuit across the city’s north side Wednesday night.

What they’re saying:

The chase started around 9:20 p.m. MPD said officers saw a vehicle that was wanted in an armed robbery and tried to stop it near 33rd and Locust, but the driver took off.

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The chase ended roughly two miles away near 29th and Roosevelt, where the driver got out and ran. MPD said the suspect’s vehicle continued to roll and collided with another vehicle. Officers ultimately caught the 15-year-old and took him into custody.

What’s next:

Criminal charges will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.

The Source: FOX6 News requested information from the Milwaukee Police Department.

Police ChasesNewsMilwaukee

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee stabbing near 40th and McKinley; 1 wounded, 1 arrested

Published

19 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Milwaukee stabbing near 40th and McKinley; 1 wounded, 1 arrested

article

Milwaukee Police Department

MILWAUKEE – One person was taken to the hospital after a stabbing in Milwaukee on Wednesday night, Jan. 7.

What we know:

According to Milwaukee police, a 26-year-old was stabbed around 7 p.m. near 40th and McKinley.

Milwaukee police arrested a suspect on the scene.

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What you can do:

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-Tips or P3 Tips.

The Source: The information in this post was provided by the Milwaukee Police Department.

Crime and Public SafetyNewsMilwaukee

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee man charged; officer trapped in defendant’s getaway car

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Milwaukee man charged; officer trapped in defendant’s getaway car

article

MILWAUKEE – A 26-year-old Milwaukee man is accused of fleeing police during an arrest attempt. An officer who was present to make the arrest ended up being trapped in the backseat of the defendant’s vehicle during an attempt to flee law enforcement. The accused is Kewane Daniels – and he faces the following criminal counts:

First-degree recklessly endangering safety
False imprisonment
Operating a motor vehicle to flee or in an attempt to elude an officer
Second-degree recklessly endangering safety

Property taken, arrest attempt

What we know:

According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police reported to the Comfort Suites near 118th and Silver Spring after a caller indicated that “property had been taken from her by the defendant,” the complaint says. The caller indicated location data alerted her that the property was in the hotel parking lot. Daniels also had two warrants for his arrest.

The caller reached out to Daniels to come outside and meet her. Law enforcement were going to assist with arresting Daniels and getting the property back.

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The complaint indicates Daniels approached his car, and an officer followed and positioned himself behind an open rear door. He “drew his service weapon knowing that Daniels was reported to frequently be armed,” the complaint says. The officer ordered Daniels not to place the car in drive, but the complaint says Daniels ignored the orders and “accelerated in reverse in an attempt to flee (the officer).”

Arresting officer trapped in defendant’s vehicle

Dig deeper:

The officer, who was now being forced to back pedal, “realized he could not keep up with the quickly reversing vehicle, and feared he may be overtaken and crushed beneath the auto. (The officer) stated that he had to jump into the open rear passenger’s seat in order to escape the possibility of being knocked down beneath the oncoming vehicle’s door and tires,” the complaint says.

The defendant quickly accelerated out of the hotel parking lot with the officer in the rear seat. The officer “continually ordered him to stop the car,” the complaint says. The officer stated, “Daniels fled at a high rate of speed near 90 mph east on W. Silver Spring Drive while losing control and mounting the curb several times,” the complaint says. During this entire incident, the officer said he “kept his service weapon aimed at Daniels while in the back seat. Due to the speeds and reckless driving, (the officer) could not exit the vehicle,” the complaint says.

The court filing says the officer having his firearm pointed had no effect on Daniels pulling over the vehicle. Later, he put his weapon away to try and convince Daniels that he was not in danger and to pull over the vehicle. Instead, the defendant continued fleeing and driving recklessly, the complaint says.

Defendant bails, car crashes

What we know:

Near 92nd and Birch Avenue in Milwaukee, the complaint says, “Daniels opened the driver’s door and abandoned the vehicle which was still moving at approximately 35 mph.” The officer remained trapped in the rear passenger seat of the driverless vehicle which “came to a stop when it mounted the curb, continued into a front yard, and eventually crashed into a tree,” the complaint says. It is noted that Daniels’ vehicle had the child locks engaged, so the officer was unable to exit the vehicle on his own.

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Officers in other squads quickly located Daniels. The complaint indicates the defendant was “missing footwear in extremely frigid temperatures.” His footwear was recovered in a grassy area near where he was taken into custody.

What’s next:

Online court records indicate Daniels is scheduled to make his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Thursday, Jan. 8.

The Source: Information in this post was provided by Wisconsin Circuit Court Access and the criminal complaint associated with this case.

Crime and Public SafetyMilwaukeeNews

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