Indy Doctor Says City Ignoring Trash on North Side
INDIANAPOLIS – An Indianapolis emergency room doctor spent part of his Sunday picking up trash at a north side intersection he says has been ignored for too long.
Dr. Louis Profeta, along with a friend and the friend’s teenage son, cleaned up garbage near 86th Street and the southbound ramp to Keystone Avenue. He says illegal dumping and panhandling have turned the area into what he calls “an absolute disaster.”
“I filled an entire pickup truck so high we had to strap the stuff down, everything from beer kegs to wagons to aluminum siding to buckets of hydraulic fluid, gas cans, and tons of food waste,” Profeta said during an interview with WIBC’s Tony Katz. “There’s mattresses and furniture. It’s going to take several more pickup truck loads to get people in there to haul it all out.”
Hear the full conversation with Tony Katz and Dr. Louis Profeta on WIBC.
Profeta says he’s tried to get the city’s attention but hasn’t had any success.
“I’ve reached out mostly through social media, and I’ve tried the mayor’s action hotline, but you’re put on hold or they never get back to you. They don’t do anything about it,” he said.
He says even filing a request online was frustrating.
“Last night, I thought I’d go to the mayor’s action website and put in a request,” Profeta said. “And I’m a pretty smart guy, Tony, I could not figure my way around the request form.”
Profeta says the issue hits close to home.
“I live on the north side. This is my community. This is where I grew up, and I chose to stay here,” he said. “It’s a beautiful part of the city, and it’s hard to watch it fall into neglect with nobody really stepping up.”
As an ER doctor, Profeta says he often recognizes people he sees panhandling and believes there are resources to help.
“We see these people in the ER and try to get them help,” he said. “We have 24-hour social services and case management. They can get temporary housing. There are a lot of resources available.”
Profeta says Indianapolis has plenty of resources for people dealing with drugs, alcohol, and homelessness, including the VA and Wheeler Mission.
