Sheriff’s office investigating multiple tire dumping cases across Lancaster County

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Across Lancaster County, tires have shown up where they do not belong, mostly on county roads.

“Since December 3rd, we’ve had seven calls of service for tire littering,” Chief Deputy Ben Houchin said.

Nearby residents said they’ve woken up to piles of old, worn-out tires tossed along the roads in their areas.

One neighbor said whoever is doing this is treating the county like a dumpster.

The county said these tires don’t just look bad; they can make driving dangerous if they start piling up, especially at night.

“These create safety hazards, and it costs the taxpayers money because we have to call the health department to come pick those up,” Houchin said.

Crews have been making rounds all week, picking up tire after tire, sometimes hauling off entire loads at a time.

“We have a total of 99 tires that have been thrown into the ditches, with one case having 55,” Houchin said.

One driver said he’s fed up and worried the dumping will continue until someone is caught.

Houchin said there are legal repercussions.

“For the first offense of doing this, it is a class III misdemeanor up to a $100 fine; after that, it goes up to a class II, and the cost goes up. You’ll also be responsible for the cleanup,” he said.

If you see illegal dumping in your area, deputies said to report it to the sheriff’s office immediately.