CAPE COUNTY LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEER LITTER SPOTTER

JACKSON -- The Cape Girardeau County Commission hopes a program that made a big impact on Wayne County's littering problem will work here.

Commissioners are looking for a litter control officer, a person to work with the sheriff's department to enforce Missouri's anti-littering laws.

The person would work 20 to 30 hours a week in uniform, looking for illegal dump sites and supervising community service workers doing cleanup jobs.

It's a volunteer position, but the litter control officer will receive a vehicle, vehicle expense and uniform allowance.

"This position would be ideal for a retired person who is not only interested in helping keep Cape County litter-free, but also wishes to stay active," Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones said.

He added that litter is becoming a problem in parts of the county, and he hopes the new officer will patrol the county, catching people in the act of dumping trash or investigating the trash to find who dumped it.

Jones considered creating the position when he heard about a Wayne County man who volunteered for one there.

Glenn Noonan was sick of finding numerous illegal dump sites and litter-strewn highways, and a lack of manpower at the sheriff's office meant nobody was available to combat the problem.

He approached the sheriff's department, took elementary law enforcement training and was deputized in June 1992.

Littering is a class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine or one year in jail. The litter control officer will issue citations for people breaking the law.

Anyone interested should call Sheriff John Jordan at 243-3551.