Fairfax County Police Department
Public Information Office
4100 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, Va. 22030
703-246-2253. TTY 703-204-2264. Fax 703-246-4253
FCPD-PIO@fairfaxcounty.gov
www.fairfaxcounty.gov
News Release: 07/Dumpster Hotline/DRG
July 12, 2007

Special Police Hotline Unveiled

            The Fairfax County Police Department has established a special telephone hotline to handle an increasing number of citizen complaints about large commercial dumpsters and self-contained storage units, commonly known as PODS, on the streets in their neighborhoods. The hotline number, 703-280-0583, is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Citizens of Fairfax County can alert police to a potential problem with the location of a commercial dumpster or self-contained storage unit on the street. This hotline should not be used to report issues involving self-contained storage units on private property (i.e. in a neighbor’s driveway).

            An investigator from the police department will respond to the reported location to assess the situation. If the investigator determines that the container is in a location that creates a traffic hazard, it will be removed from the location immediately. The container will be purged of its contents and stored by the Fairfax County Police Department.

            If  the container is not deemed to be a traffic hazard, but is in violation of Virginia State Code Section 15.2-2018, the owner of the container, not the homeowner, will be notified of the violation and will have four working days to remove it. If  the container is not removed within the allotted four-day period, the police department will have it removed.

            In both scenarios, the cost incurred for removal and storage will be absorbed by the owner of the container, not the homeowner.

            A summons will be issued or a warrant obtained for the owner of the container, at the time of the removal.