It’s a sight that is all too often observed by those who drive Shreveport streets.

Stacks of trash on the curbs waiting for pickup by Shreveport’s Public Works Department can be found in almost every neighborhood. These bulk pickups are not handled by the regular sanitation workers.

Public Works does not have the personnel needed to provide this service, which has, rightly or wrongly, become a given in Shreveport. Until recently, the problem was also compounded by the lack of trucks needed to haul the materials to the dump.

It’s never a good time for delays, but now is probably the worst time for many reasons.

Residents complain of snakes and rodents occupying the trash heaps that line many streets that school children will soon be traversing to and from schools.

The longer a trash heap remains on the streets, the more the likelihood of animals and people rummaging through them spreading the mess and compounding the problems.

These long-standing trash piles often encourage others to continue the pattern of throwing unwanted “stuff” on any street, especially in front of vacant structures.

The expiration of the eviction moratorium on July 31 will likely increase local evictions, which often lead to rental house “clean outs” that often end up on street curbs.

Citizen skepticism about the proposed November bond proposals is further stoked by the failure to timely provide this city service.

Vacant employee positions are a primary problem now, although they are not unique to the city. Private businesses have adapted to similar problems and so should the city.

And the announcement by Mayor Perkins that a clean community campaign would be launched soon begs the question and ignores the reality of the situation.

The Perkins administration should take prompt action, and, if necessary, declare a public health emergency to expedite the employment of independent contractors and/or request the deployment of the National Guard to assist in bulk trash pickups.