Sept. 12, 2006 — Vandals on St. Thomas recently damaged the V.I. Waste Management Authority's new smaller solid waste collection vehicles parked overnight at the Public Works Motor Pool and Solid Waste Yard in Sub Base. "Brake lines were cut and wires pulled from the vehicle," said VIWMA Communications Director Stella Saunders.
The smaller vehicles were recently purchased to facilitate the expansion of house-to-house garbage collection on St. Thomas. The expansion on the island is a direct result of the reduction of bin sites in residential community areas. "Residents have been asking for years to remove the bin sites," said Saunders.
In a press release issued Tuesday, VIWMA Executive Director May Adams Cornwall stated, "willful damage to the Authority's vehicles not only negatively impacts our quality of service to residents, but it causes unnecessary spending of taxpayer monies." Cornwall urged the public to be the "eyes and ears" of VIWMA and report willful acts of vandalism immediately.
"At this point there are no leads," said Saunders. VIWMA urges residents who have any information related to this matter to contact VIPD at 911, VIWMA Division of Solid Waste at 715-0460 or the VIWMA hotline at 773-6443.
