Tire cheaters

When it comes to the Memphis’ Tire Redemption program the old adage of one bad apple can spoil the whole barrel could put future redemption efforts in jeopardy.

Last week, a reporter and photographer for The Commercial Appeal discovered that one of the tire redeemers, Winston Boswell, and his companions were spotted at a Frayser tire shop, loading up tires. Earlier that day at the redemption center, while dropping off a truckload of tires, Boswell boasted that he and his friends had collected more than 600 tires.

What Boswell and his friends were doing was not why the redemption program was started. The program was promoted by City Council member Harold Collins as a way to enlist citizens’ help to clean up an overwhelming illegal dumping problem plaguing the city. It is not supposed to be a vehicle to allow tire dealers to get rid of old tires — for a profit — that they would have to pay a fee to recycle.

The redemption program lets citizens earn $1 for each tire they bring to the center, maxing out at $200 a day. They have to sign an affidavit saying they obtained the tires from illegal dump sites.

Collins wants the city to go after Boswell and his companions, and Monday night he was hoping that the city had not issued them a check for the tires they redeemed.

On its surface, the tire redemption program is good public policy. It lets the city mitigate a dumping problem that it does not have the manpower to handle, while letting citizens earn a little money.

If it is going to continue, city officials must find a way to stop the illegal redemption, including going after cheaters when they are caught.