'Sickening' truck of raw meat left in Bay View under investigation, city says

Quinn Clark, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

An open trailer of raw meat sat out in 80-degree weather for about three days over the weekend, Bay View residents said, giving off a "sickening" odor along East Smith Street from South Austin Street to South Burrell Street.

Resident Christopher Chan told Public Investigator the truck was outside of his house on East Smith Street from Saturday to Monday morning. Then, it was moved around the corner, he said.

"I didn't really notice a smell before he moved it, but by the end of Monday, neighbors were saying it was awful," said Chan.

Anonymous posts on the Bay View community Facebook page showed pictures of raw meat in a trailer connected to a truck. The post drew almost 200 comments, with many people wondering who they could contact for help — the police, the city's health department, or the Department of Natural Resources' Spills Hotline.

An anonymous post in the Bay View community Facebook page on Tuesday said a trailer of rotting meat was parked on the street, drawing hundreds of likes and comments.
An anonymous post in the Bay View community Facebook page on Tuesday said a trailer of rotting meat was parked on the street, drawing hundreds of likes and comments.

Milwaukee Health Department spokesperson Caroline Reinwald said because the truck was legally parked, and the meat was inside the trailer, the incident falls in a gray area, making it difficult to determine how to respond.

Either way, Reinwald said the city would have addressed residents' complaints, but the trailer was gone by the time parking enforcement showed up on Tuesday. Reinwald said the incident is under investigation.

"The city wouldn't have just left it there," said Reinwald. "We were going to figure out a solution to the problem one way or another."

Meanwhile, Department of Neighborhood Services spokesperson Jeremy McGovern told Public Investigator that because the truck was parked on public property, it fell within the Department of Public Works' purview.

Although parking enforcement discovered the truck was gone around noon Tuesday, DPW spokesperson Tiffany Shepherd said the crew discovered some "residue" left behind.

"Coincidentally, a street sweeper was in the area, and it was called to the scene to clean up," said Shepherd.

The anonymous post in the Bay View Town Hall Facebook page on Tuesday showed pictures of tipped over cans of raw meat inside a trailer parked in the neighborhood along East Smith Street from South Austin Street to South Burrell Street.
The anonymous post in the Bay View Town Hall Facebook page on Tuesday showed pictures of tipped over cans of raw meat inside a trailer parked in the neighborhood along East Smith Street from South Austin Street to South Burrell Street.

Shepherd said Tuesday morning that city staff is aware of social media posts about the truck. Shepherd said although the city is still determining which entity should handle the incident, residents can always call the city's general number, 414-286-2489, to report complaints.

"If the public is ever wondering who to call, that is always the appropriate number," said Shepherd.

City officials said the person responsible is still unknown, but would update Public Investigator with more information.

Terri Williams, legislative aide for the district's alderperson Marina Dimitrijevic, told Public Investigator their office became aware of the situation Monday after seeing social media posts.

Williams said they've been in contact with DPW and will continue to work with the health department to investigate the owner in order to prevent future incidents.

"What a gross thing to have on your street and I’m glad neighbors called us," said Williams.

DNR spokesperson Garrett Dietz told Public Investigator the situation would fall under the health department's authority. Based "on the nature of the situation," the meat doesn't pose a health risk unless ingested, Dietz added, and does not fall under the DNR's definition of "hazardous waste."

An anonymous user who called themselves the "meat man" posted on the Bay View community Facebook page late Tuesday morning to apologize.

"I was hired to correctly dispose of these spoiled food items and, due to facility being closed on Mondays, we were unable to until today," the post said. The user did not clarify which "facility" they were referring to.

The user also said they spoke with the police department. The Milwaukee Police Department has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Chan said the truck owner spoke to him outside of his home on Monday morning and told him he would move the truck.

"I didn't realize until late in the evening that he had just moved it to the other side of the block," he said.

Quinn Clark is a Public Investigator reporter. She can be emailed at QClark@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Quinn_A_Clark.

About Public Investigator

.
.

Government corruption. Corporate wrongdoing. Consumer complaints. Medical scams. Public Investigator is a new initiative of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and its sister newsrooms across Wisconsin. Our team wants to hear your tips, chase the leads and uncover the truth. We'll investigate anywhere in Wisconsin. Send your tips to watchdog@journalsentinel.com or call 414-319-9061. You can also submit tips at jsonline.com/tips.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Truck of raw meat parked in Bay View under investigation, city says

Advertisement