RENO, NV - Many people would say there's nothing worse than people dumping their trash in northern Nevada's open spaces. Tuesday, the Washoe County Commission heard from the sheriff about what his department is doing to curb the problem.

Some strides have been made in dealing with this problem.

But it's a problem that's on the increase. In the last six months the sheriff says there's been a 13-hundred-percent increase in illegal dumping and littering in the area. One man took us to some of the most popular sites for garbage.

Neal Cobb has been fighting the illegal dumping head on here in Northern Nevada. This site in Golden Valley is one of his pet projects....it looks horrible, but nine months ago it was worse.

We were here then and can vouch for that. Cobb says he can attribute the improvement to plenty of community involvement, not least of which has come from the sheriff.

Tuesday morning, the sheriff was in front of the County Commission demonstrating just what he's done to crack down on illegal dumping. In the past year, he says, his agency has made several arrests and received 50 calls about illegal dumping. It would not have been possible without community liaison officers, officers that have been taken away in recent budget cuts.

Haley says the officers are crucial, especially in these times where his agency has seen a spike in dumping. This section just off 395 north is the site of a dumped boat, tires, near the rail road tracks and down the hill you'll find some abandoned cars. Down this road animal carcasses. Cobb says its time to get even more aggressive and include even more agencies in the fight--take the courts for instance, he says the names of those convicted of dumping should be published, just like they do with d-u-i offenders.

Sheriff Haley says the increase in dumping may be due in part to foreclosures. He says volunteers are seeing perfectly good clothing, televisions and even refrigerators at these dumpsites.