Police want to prevent semi-trailers from using residential streets on the way to the landfill

(WKBN) – Several police chiefs in eastern Mahoning County are tired of watching large semi-trucks use their community streets to get to a landfill in Poland Township.

On Tuesday morning, several police chiefs and officials as well as District Attorney Gina DeGenova met to discuss the issues.

Police provided video of semi-trucks driving through residential streets trying to get to the Republic Services landfill off U.S. 224. Police chiefs said many of the trucks were from New York and New Jersey and that the drivers were unfamiliar with the area and easily got lost.

“They don’t use GPS devices for truck drivers. So they’re coming from 616, from the east. Now they’re trying to give them a shortcut for the car, and that shortcut takes them through residential areas,” said Lowellville Police Chief Rick Alli.

“The roads are not built to support the weight of these vehicles. The vehicles – the trucks – are too wide. They can’t safely travel in one lane, so that’s definitely a concern from a safety perspective,” added Poland Township Police Chief Greg Wilson.

Police chiefs say they would like to charge the truck drivers with safety violations and even impound their trucks, but the prosecutor said she and her staff are investigating what officers can do to deter the drivers from using their roads.