Ask almost anyone to identify a common problem facing all of Southwest Louisiana, and most people will tell you it’s litter. For quite some time, local leaders have tried to make a significant impact on the area’s troubling litter situation, but have achieved only limited success.
This past week, the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury unveiled a different, more aggressive approach toward litter that is designed to tackle the issue with awareness, enforcement and education.
“You Can’t Afford To Be Trashy” is the new initiative’s slogan, which sends out the strong message to the community that the police jury and local law enforcement are tired of being “nice” about this issue and are now taking litter offenses very seriously.
“Research shows that litterers know they’re not supposed to litter,” says Jason Barnes, Special Programs Coordinator for the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury. “Litterers are more concerned about what will happen to them if they are caught. We’re telling them straightforwardly, ‘You litter, you pay!’”
For the past nine months, the police jury has met with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s office to reexamine and modify the current litter enforcement law. “Tickets were not being written for one reason or another, and our main goal was to streamline the enforcement of both tickets and fines to ensure that the system would be more progressive,” says Barnes.
Under the new litter law, which was adopted as a parish ordinance at the beginning of February, a first-time offender will be fined $40. No court appearance is required, unless the violator would like to contest the charge. The fine will be paid to the District Attorney’s office and placed into the parish’s beautification fund, which was created several years ago. If the ticket has not been paid within the specified time—about six weeks—the District Attorney’s office will notify the Department of Motor Vehicles to suspend the offender’s driver’s license until the fine has been paid.
The second offense carries a $100 fine and requires a court appearance, with an additional $150 in court costs. The costs continue to rise with additional offenses.
“We at the sheriff’s office want to play an active role in fighting litter through enforcement of the litter laws. I think everyone would agree that litter is ugly, so it’s time to tell people who litter that we won’t tolerate their destruction of the natural beauty of Calcasieu Parish,” says Sheriff Tony Mancuso. “If you get caught littering, you’re going to have to pay for your mistake.”
District Attorney John DeRosier says, “We are often judged by our personal appearance, and that applies to the grounds, roads, streets and properties of Calcasieu Parish. We need to make our community look better. It makes us look better, it helps our economy and it’s just the right thing to do.”
Litter Hotline
Police officers will not be the only people on the lookout for litterers. The police jury and the sheriff’s office have set up a new local hotline for citizens to report littering. The number is 493-LITR (5487). Residents who witness someone littering can call the hotline and report the crime to the sheriff’s office. All that will be needed is some basic information, primarily the license plate of the violator.
The owner of the vehicle will then be sent a letter stating that they have been reported for littering and that they should consider the correspondence a warning. For positive reinforcement, a litterbag will be enclosed in the envelope for encouragement not to repeat the crime.
“The single biggest weapon in the program is not necessarily the fine or the cops catching these litterers in the act; it’s our community jumping in and becoming involved,” says Barnes. “With community involvement in the program, litterers now have to worry and be mindful of the everyday citizen watching them too.”
Next Steps
Education is crucial to the new litter program. Studies show that children form much of their general behavior by the fourth grade. For this reason, the police jury feels that it is just as important to take aggressive strides toward educating the parish children about litter. New programs, including litter awareness and prevention in the curriculum and special assemblies, are just a few ideas currently being discussed.
The new enforcement measures focus on litterers who throw out smaller litter, such as cigarette butts or soft drink cans, but the police jury is also targeting offenders who dump large amounts of trash along roadways and on private property. This is known as “gross littering,” and a special group of law enforcement officers is assigned to this crime, which is punished by heavier fines and court appearances.
The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office encourage residents to join the fight against litter by reporting offenders, and to gain awareness about the effects of litter by visiting www.dontbetrashy.org. Throughout the year, the police jury will promote “You Can’t Afford To Be Trashy!” throughout the parish, and the sheriff’s department will be watching closely for litterers.
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