By Post Staff

For more than two years, Glad Tidings Community Church Pastor Jeremiah Captain has been fighting a losing battle with illegal dumping. As soon as Captain and church members clean up one illegal dump in front of the church at 18^th avenue and E. 12^th street, another follows almost daily.

He believes that individuals and businesses charged with clean-up see the illegal dump on the property and, instead of taking the trip to the junkyard, just follow suit and leave all manner of things on his doorstep: clothing, shoes, trash, used needles and condoms, mattresses, a refrigerator, paint, and other toxic fluids.

Captain says the problem has become so pervasive that it discourages members of the small congregation from attending Sunday service and impedes his ability to conduct his business as an insurance agent which is also located at that address. Besides the dumping, Captain has had to contend with vandalism to the building exterior, including splashed paint and other toxic wastes. He has had to repair four broken windows costing $300 each in the past few months.

There have also been break-ins, some averted and one where their drum set had been stolen but recovered a few blocks away. Despite repeatedly reporting the issue to Oak311 for clean-up and appealing to Oakland City Councilmember Nikki Fortunato-Bas, there has been no response so far.

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Captain says his next step is to seek funding for motion detector lighting, security cameras and ground-level signage making it obvious that the site is a church. For more information, please call the church at 510-532-5743.

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