Jonathan Pommerville's street on Detroit's extreme northwest edge is sparsely populated, but Jonathan Pommerville and other Northwest Brightmoor Renaissance members work to keep it from being a garbage-dumping site. (Google Earth photo)
Saturday, 4:20 p.m.: Online tributes praise Jonathan Pommerville, who's fed up with trash-dumping on and near his Brightmoor block.
The 38-year-old motorcycle enthusiast uses his video camera to record license plates and caught-in-the-act evidence, which he posts at this YouTube channel for shaming and to show that the neighborhood on Detroit far northwest edge defends itself.
His latest clip (first video below) from last Wednesday exceeds 59,000 views and earns WXYZ coverage (embedded under this article). In response to social media salutes, Pommerville says Saturday afternoon on our Facebook page: "I'll partner up with all of Brightmoor's residents needing help getting this type of activity out of our neighborhood."
These are among reactions to his crusade:
► A hero for the neighborhood and community! A does, not just a viewer! Fighting the good fight to help, serve, preserve, heal, mend, restore and improve your home front! . . . Keep up the good work. You, your family, neighbors and the city in general benefit from your good works. What a blessing you are! -- Lynn Hughes
► I love this guy. . . . What an inspiring guy. If everybody did what they could, instead of wishing -- or expecting -- someone else to do it, we could get somewhere. -- Liz Scutchfield, Detroit (2 posts)
► I seriously applaud the guy who's on the lookout. -- Leslie Michael, Auburn Hills
► May God bless Jonathan for standing up for his neighborhood. -- Terry Sdao, Grass Lake
► "Thank you for catching this guy. Remember to get the license plate and the city will confiscate their truck." -- Gordon Soderberg
► You keep keepin' on, man! -- Larry McKeough, Taylor
► Keep up the great job. -- Jimmy Joe Beaker
► Example A of how to have a nice, livable area -- Joe Murray
► Good for him! Take control of your neighborhood. -- Barbara Joan Reider, West Bloomfield
► This is what it takes to stamp out this ignorant, country way of thinking in Detroit, -- Ken Gray
► Way to go, Jonathan. -- Marc Wigle
► This is great! We all need to call out these lawbreakers -- Camille Maniscalco-Dery, Madison Heights
► Good job, brother. -- Raistlin Majere
► Keep up the good work. Detroit needs more like him -- respect for the city and for where you live. -- Robbie Berndt
► Love this guy. -- Lori Anne
► Bravo Jonathan Pommerville!. -- "AARP Ranch"
► Good for you! -- "FeatofClay" (Reddit user name)
Original article, Friday morning:
"Karma is a bitch" says an online comment from "Slick Nick" about this video posted at Reddit.
"Not in my neighborhood. Pick it all up." (WXYZ photo)
It exceeds 56,600 views as of Saturday morning and is the subject of a nearly four-minute report (video below) by WXYZ's Ronnie Dahl.
She interviews the man behind the camera, 38-year-old Jonathan Pommerville of Northwest Brightmoor Renaissance, a community group. "He's passionate about defending his neighborhood, the newswoman says.
"Not on my street," Pommerville repeatedly tells a startled pickup driver unloading trash behind a vacant home Wednesday evening on Grayfield Street. "Pick it all up."
At his YouTube channel, Pommerville has other video of illegal dumpers caught in the act.
Watch above to see why the driver has another problem besides a camera-pointing neighbor who called police.
"If you can put a name to that face, give me a call," Dahl tells viewers. "I really want to track this guy down."
Here's her newscast segment:
