Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator, LA State Police Troop G Commander Tom Madden, and Caddo District Attorney Charles Scott are warning Caddo Parish residents to stash their trash or face fines for littering.
Standing amidst a heap of garbage, old tires, and appliances, the law enforcement officials said enough is enough. “Where is the pride in our community?” Prator questioned. “If you roll down your window and throw out a cigarette butt you are just as guilty, just as apathetic, as the person who illegally dumps a load of tires or trash on the side of the road or in the woods.”
While littering in Louisiana is a $15 million-a-year problem, Prator said the Sheriff’s Office is taking a number of steps to stop the problem in Caddo Parish:
·The department hired a part-time investigator to locate dump sites and identify the people who illegally dump trash on the roadside. Five citations have been issued so far.
·An extra inmate litter crew was added to help clean up roadside trash. Sheriff’s litter crews picked up 17,820 more pounds of trash in the first three months of 2009 than during the same period in 2008.
·In an agreement with Caddo judges, some misdemeanor offenders will be sentenced to community service in lieu of fines. The community service will include working on litter crews. Each misdemeanor case will be reviewed independently to see if the offender qualifies.
·Billboards recently went up throughout the parish educating those who litter of criminal fines ranging from $250 to $5,000.
·A hotline has been established for citizens to report people they see littering. The phone number is “GO GREEN” (464-7336). The registered owner of any vehicle reported will get a letter from the Sheriff alerting them that someone in their vehicle was seen littering and asking for their help to stop littering in Caddo Parish.
“We know it’s unlikely that someone will litter in front of a deputy in a patrol car, but that’s where you can help,” Prator said. “If it bothers you as much as it bothers me, call the hotline. We want them to know people are watching.”
Madden said his office is stepping up enforcement by making troopers available throughout the year to assist the Sheriff’s Office with the investigation of illegal dump sites. State Police already work with Keep Louisiana Beautiful each April in an anti-litter campaign aimed at raising citizen awareness about the consequences of littering and illegal dumping.
“After testing our litter enforcement strategies together over the years we agree that we have outgrown the initiative as an annual event,” Madden said. “Many successful enforcement programs can be traced back to a tipping point where citizens and law enforcement decided together that enough is enough. This meeting and this litter enforcement task force represents that tipping point.”
Anyone caught littering in Louisiana can face a fine of $250 to $5,000 and from four to 100 hours of community service. In addition, driver’s license suspension and jail time are possible penalties.
Prator said some of the biggest litter violators are motorists who don’t clean out their truck beds and those who flick cigarette butts out of their windows, which could also cause a fire hazard. The Sheriff also urged business owners to patrol their own parking lots and private property and remove litter to show they have pride in their community.
*Billboards can be located on I-20 westbound at 3132; North Market @ Common; 3132 westbound just past the I-49 entrance ramp; Youree Drive northbound at Kings (digital); Youree southbound at 3132 (digital). There are approximately 14 locations. These are just a few.
