JENNINGS — Jeff Davis Parish Police Juror Bradley Eastman said Wednesday that he’s seen an increase in the illegal dumping of trash on parish roads and wants to see something done to stop it.

“It’s been going on for a while, but it has gotten bad again,” Eastman said. “They had slowed it down, but now they are back up to dumping.”

He is challenging other police jurors to find ways to help curb the problem, including offering rewards to those who report violators.

“Do we want to give a gift certificate if they call in with a snapshot of somebody dumping trash on the side of the road?” Eastman said. “There’s got to be a way to stop all of what we are seeing.”

Police Jury President Donald Woods said it’s hard to catch someone dumping.

The problem has become increasingly visible in the Touchet and Monger road areas, Eastman said.

The roads are isolated areas and aren’t well-lit at night, making them an easy target for dumpers, he said.

“Touchet Road is a favorite because it has traffic during the afternoons, but at night it slows down because it’s all country people,” he said. “Monger Road is the same way. There is nobody through there unless you are doing something not right.”

People are dumping large items — mattresses, furniture, stoves, washers, dryers — on the side of the road.

“We are complaining about drainage and stuff, but these mattresses and stoves and stuff, they wash down the canal and plug up further down,” he said. “All these issues affect anybody in low areas and some who are not in low areas.”

A swimming pool full of trash bags with papers containing addresses was recently removed from the side of Touchet Road by Police Jury employees. Eastman said that if addresses are found on any of the items, game wardens can take legal action. Violators could face jail time and fines.

“I know people have to see them dumping — maybe not every time, but sometime,” he said.

He said residents who see illegal dumping should record license plate numbers and take pictures and report violators.

Woods said the state’s workforce program provided the parish with funds to employ 10 people to walk the roads and pick up trash a few years ago, but the program was eliminated because of budget cuts.