Montgomery business owner upset with littering, theft behind shop

Published: Oct. 5, 2022 at 10:44 PM CDT|Updated: Oct. 5, 2022 at 11:00 PM CDT
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MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - When Susan Poole walks behind her door manufacturing business, Doors By Decora, she is typically met with piles of trash.

“We just hired somebody to come in and take a lot of the trash out just last week, and now they’re piling it back up again,” Poole said.

For the past year, people have been sleeping outside. A makeshift shelter has been created.

Poole said the land is public and she does not have a problem with people being there, but now they are interfering with her business.

People are trespassing and making a mess on private property. One person even stole her security camera.

“He climbed up the poles there and took the camera down,” she said.

A new camera has been installed, but people keep littering. Someone also cut the copper tubing on an outdoor air compressor which shut the business down for hours.

“Honestly, I’m really getting tired of it,” Poole said.

The business owner said she has called the police and the city multiple times but nothing has been done.

When WSFA 12 News reached out, the Montgomery Police Department said one call was received in the last 60 days after a homeless person started a trash fire.

Police also released the following statement:

“Now that MPD is aware of the issue, we will provide additional patrols, provide homeless personnel resources, and provide advice to the business owner regarding lighting, security, and signage. MPD works well with Montgomery’s business owners, residents, and visitors and will exhaust all means to address their concerns.”

The city is also undergoing an effort to clean Montgomery underpasses of trash.

“They’re just out cleaning up where the residents and the people of Montgomery can see, not behind our businesses where nobody can see but us,” Poole said.

The city said it is looking further into this issue.

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