Committees discuss enforcing anti-litter laws, cleanup efforts

Motorists who throw soft-drink cups and other trash out their car windows as they drive along streets and highways may end up getting letters from a local anti-litter committee warning them to stop trashing the landscape.

A committee of law enforcement officials from the Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City police departments and the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department proposed the idea Thursday as a way to combat the litter problem.

Meanwhile, another anti-litter group is planning how to clean up area neighborhoods over the next two months and put in place a permanent program of volunteers to pick up litter.

The law enforcement group headed by Cape Girardeau police Capt. Carl Kinnison is part of a larger anti-litter committee that has been spearheading efforts to clean up the area.

"Litter has always been one of my pet peeves," Kinnison said at a meeting Thursday of the anti-litter enforcement committee at the Cape Girardeau police station.

Law enforcement officials said they would like to implement the litter notification process by June provided it gets approval from the overall anti-litter committee and local governments.

But the success of the plan, they admit, depends largely on the public. They would be encouraged to report the vehicle license plates of litterbugs to police, likely through the Cape Girardeau CrimeStoppers program's hotline for receiving anonymous tips.

Police then would run the license plate numbers reported and send out form letters to those vehicle owners indicating that they had been spotted littering, Kinnison said.

The letters wouldn't constitute actual citations. The committee views them as part of an educational campaign to encourage people not to litter.

The letters would point out that witnesses could have reported incorrect license plate numbers and that the recipient of the letter may not have been the guilty party, police said.

Law enforcement committee members want the form letter to be sent out under the signatures of the mayors of Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City, and the presiding commissioner of Cape Girardeau County.

Changing the mindset

Law enforcement officials say the public often doesn't report incidents of littering to police.

"We need to change the mindset," said Cape Girardeau police Lt. Mark Majoros.

In contrast, police said they regularly receive complaints from residents about loud stereos.

As for cleanup efforts, a committee headed by Mike Tripp of the Cape Girardeau Public Works Department plans to ask area civic, charitable and church groups to pick up litter.

Committee members said they want groups to adopt neighborhoods in Cape Girardeau and Jackson and to volunteer to pick up litter along streets in those areas.

Groups would put the litter in trash bags and leave those bags along the streets for local public works crews in Cape Girardeau and Jackson to haul away.

"You've got living proof it works for the parks," said cleanup committee member Doug Austin of Cape Girardeau.

He said groups and individuals annually volunteer to clean up the parks in Cape Girardeau and Jackson when those cities hold their parks' cleanup days.

In Cape Girardeau, the committee hopes to set up cleanup efforts by voting precinct. There are 14 voting precincts in the city.

"The big thing is getting it done the first time," Austin said of the cleanup effort.

Jackson city officials said they plan to enlist their chamber of commerce in finding cleanup volunteers.

The goal is to get the area cleaned up by July 4.

After that, committee members suggested, Cape Girardeau council members and Jackson aldermen could orchestrate regular cleanup efforts in their city wards.

"I think it is a great concept," said committee member and Jackson Alderman Kerry Hoffman, adding that councilmen and aldermen know residents in their wards who could be relied on to help keep their neighborhoods clean.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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