City alderwoman fights back against Milwaukee tire dumping epidemic

A mountain of illegally dumped waste tires at N. Teutonia Avenue and W. Mill Road is perhaps the most egregious example of a growing problem in Milwaukee.

WISN 12 News last week obtained body cam video of DNR wardens catching a Milwaukee man in the act there in January.

“It’s an issue. It’ll continue to be an ongoing issue until we do something about it,” said Alderwoman Andrea Pratt, who represents the district where those tires were dumped.

She told WISN 12 News Monday, March 17, 2025, she was frustrated to watch the story and see that the man in the video was released with just five littering tickets totaling less than $4,000.

“I’m looking into creating legislation to increase the ordinance fine, the fine for dumping tires, or illegally dumping. I thought it was a travesty that the fine was $3,800 for the man who’d dumped thousands of tires. There should be a stiffer penalty for that. I’m also looking at charging per tire when you’re dumping,” she said.

Pratt has been at the forefront of the tire dumping issue, calling attention to other dumps, including two large ones at the Cousins Subs at N. Hopkins Street and W. Villard Avenue.

“The only response shouldn’t be when it’s on air,” Pratt said Thursday, March 20, 2025, at a Public Works (DPW) Committee meeting.

She admitted to growing frustrated at the meeting, explaining tires blocked an alley in her district for four days after it was first reported to Department of Public Works.

Pratt said when she tried to escalate the issue to DPW management, she was told to enter it in the city’s reporting system and not to email the DPW’s operations director.

“It’s public property. I’ve had hundreds of tires dumped throughout my district on city property, it’s taking two, three, four weeks for us to get out there and pick it up,” Pratt said at the city hall meeting. “People who live in these neighborhoods should not have to see all these tires, all this dumping consistently. I’m very frustrated and upset that she would respond and say I should not be emailing her.”

Pratt said the illegal dumping is also doing a disservice to the legitimately licensed waste tire haulers.

She believes if the city turns a blind eye, it will continue to get worse.

“It’s a lot more prevalent now, and people are a lot more bold in doing it,” Pratt said.